Exiled
by xQueen-of-Nightx
Summary: After a distressing message from the Force, Obi-Wan leaves Luke in the hands of his Aunt and Uncle, and arrives at Kessel to find the rest of the Jedi. Little does he know he is about to embark on a dangerous journey that might take his life... AU!
1. Preface

**Hey there! I'm a new author in this section of Star Wars; I'm usually in the Clone Wars section. But now...**

**Anyway, this is an AU story, and is set from 19BBY- right after the Mustafar incident. I hope you enjoy this story (which might be in five books into one) and remember; any criticisms and positive feedback is welcome :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Characters or locations; they all belong to George Lucas!**

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><p><em>PREFACE<em>

He was in agony, staggering through the shaft with a broken arm, and a shattered sabre latched onto his belt. The Sith was closing in, his longer legs and resistance to pain aiding him in his Hunt.

Obi-Wan staggered further down the shaft, coming to the main centre, trying to keep his shields up to stop him finding the location of the Rebellion and...

_Sara..._

His mind drifted to her, and the surprise that he would never see her again...

_This is my fault..._

"I can hear your thoughts, my Old Master," The booming voice sounded through the shaft. "Smell your fear, sense your pain. Let me take it away, let me take your life."

Obi-Wan collapsed in the corner, too tired to answer with any witty comments, or fight back. As long as the others were safe and away, that's all that mattered.

His Death would be a blessing, a freedom from all the pain he would soon cause because of his weakness to kill Vader when he had the chance...

Then, he emerged, at first a small square of glowing lights, and now a large shadowy figure, that seemed to expand the darkness around him through the room, his horrible mechanic breathing sounding through the room, and the clanking of his metal boots as he slowly stalked his prey, leaning tired against the wall.

"You should not have come back Obi-Wan."

He raised his head, panting heavily, staring at the menacing figure as he appeared over the control panel, still not noticing the brown clothed Jedi, and sitting injured in the corner, breathing heavily.

Maybe he could not hear him.

Finally, the Sith turned, and spotted him. "There you are."

Obi-Wan stared up at him, and then gasped, as the Force came around his neck, Vader slowly lifting him into the air as he choked him, bringing him close to him, so that their faces were a foot away. "I have waited for this." Vader said, and Obi-Wan could hear the jest, the thirst for his blood in his voice. "I have _dreamed_ of this moment, to take revenge on what you had done to me."

There was a hiss as he ignited his sabre, and slowly, Obi-Wan realised that this was it.

_It's over..._

He closed his eyes...


	2. Part I, Chapter 1

**Well, here's the first one. Please remember to leave that important review!**

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><p><em>BOOK ONE: INTO THE SHADOWS<em>

_A DISTURBING NIGHTMARE_

_Tiredness and adrenaline rose through his muscles, sweat falling from his hair over his scolding skin, as he fought his Former Padawan, the heat starting to get too much for his body, the heavy tunic he was wearing causing this to happen._

_Slowly, the fight headed onto a platform, which rocked under the heat of the lava, ready to fall from the supports that were beginning to melt underneath their feet. He was starting to get exhausted, but he knew that he needed to keep fighting, for not just his life, but everyone else in the Galaxy._

_Yoda, Bail, the Republic..._

_Padmé..._

_He never told her how he felt about her. How he truly felt about her. He wished he had told her when he had the chance. Tears fell, as he stared at the Man; the very person he had raised from a small boy, through his teenage years, and then to the Hero of the Republic._

_But now he had fallen, turned to the Dark Side through the lies of the Former Chancellor, through the lies of Palpatine. He needed to fix this, by killing the Man he had loved most._

_Now, he was standing under the board, being sheltered by the lava, as it fell in droplets, scolding any exposed skin not sheltered from his tunic. Raising a hand, he wiped the sweat from his forehead, smoothing his ginger hair back in the process, his tunic singed from the droplets that had struck him._

_The sound of a sabre striking the column he hid behind came to his ears, as his adversary tried a pointless strike at him. Slowly, he caught his breath, and waited for the lava drops to disappear, before moving from his position._

_The Sith lunged for him immediately, and he slowly parried his blade, before the adrenaline began to rise again, and he was soon fighting with each last breath, trying to ignore his aching muscles as they continued the Duel._

_Fight Kenobi, he kept telling himself. Keep fighting no matter what!_

_The tower they were fighting on began to crumble beneath his feet, and soon, finally, it fell from where it stood, split from. He had to run._

_There was no other choice._

_Climbing up the tower, he blocked each blow aimed for his legs, trying to stop the Sith getting at him with any chance it had._

_He kept reminding himself that this was no longer Anakin Skywalker, but Darth Vader; his flame red eyes now glowing as he stared up through the dark fringe, dirt and sweat lining his skin as he stared down at him, sadness and guilt in his eyes, at the Man he had raised into a murderer..._

_Now, he grabbed a rope, and swung from the column. The Sith copied his move and swung towards him, determined to strike at any chance, whether it be taking a limb, or killing him..._

_The Boy he had raised was trying to kill his own Father._

_He turned his head, and saw a floating platform on the river of lava, and jumped, just landing on the platform, and slowly, he stared up to see the Sith running down the tower, heading towards him..._

_And leapt into the air in a bound that not even he, Obi-Wan, could achieve without being attuned to the Force. Staring at Vader, he braced himself for what could happen next..._

_The Last time he looked at Vader properly, or Anakin, was across the flash of white light when their sabres connected. Staring into his yellow eyes, he whispered._

"_I'm sorry."_

_And leapt onto the hill. Staring down at the Sith, he shouted a warning, but the Man ignored him, and jumped into the air..._

_His sabre flashed, and the Sith's limbs were severed. He couldn't help but stare down at him, tears flowing, as he screamed._

"_You were the Chosen One! It was said you would destroy the Sith not join them! Bring Balance to the Force, not leave it in Darkness!"_

_When Anakin Skywalker looked up at him, the blue eyes became irises of fire, glowing up at him as he snarled, and spit coming from his mouth. "I HATE YOU!"_

_Those three words were like a knife to his heart..._

"_You were my brother Anakin!" He cried, tears falling further. "I loved you!"_

_A fire erupted around Anakin, tearing the Human's skin and hair, revealing not a Human, but a Creature of Nightmares..._

_Darth Vader had been born..._

_No more...He couldn't handle it anymore..._

_He picked up the sabre and left, tears falling..._

_Help them... A voice sounded..._

Obi-Wan Kenobi woke with a start from his dream, sweating and staring at the dark ceiling of his small home on Tatooine, panting, and sitting up in his small bed. Running a hand through his hair, he stared around at the Chrono, and groaned at the time.

4.30 in the morning.

Slowly, he lay on his side, sweat glistening on his bare skin, and closed his eyes again, trying to will himself to sleep, but couldn't.

He didn't want the nightmare to return again. The Day that Anakin Skywalker fell.

Sitting up, he stared around his room, still noting some box shapes in the small bedroom that he was still to unpack.

He had moved into the small hovel only a few days ago, after dropping Luke off at his Aunt and Uncle's. They were good people, he knew that as soon as he stepped onto their threshold, but Owen's first words to him still rang in his ears.

_Keep away from him Jedi. I don't want you near him._

Obi-Wan swung his legs out from under the duvet, and sat at the edge of the bed, wincing at the burns he still had from Mustafar, and ran a hand over his tired face.

Why couldn't he let go?

Standing, Obi-Wan headed into his dark joined kitchen, living space and dining room, feeling around for the lights that he had managed to install, and scowled when the switch would not work. Using the Force to feel his way around, Obi-Wan found a candle holder, and took a match from the case next to it, lighting the small candle.

His hovel was still being furnished with the essentials, and, so far, it was nearly homely like to him. He lived with only basic needs in the Temple, and he was living with the same.

_Help them..._

He rubbed his forehead, ignoring the Force as it, once more, said those two words.

_Help them..._

Obi-Wan shook his head, and said back, _why should I help you? You turned your back on me and the other Jedi, aided the Sith...Why should I?_

_Others will die if you don't..._

Obi-Wan paused at that. _What do you mean? Are there other Jedi? Bar me and Yoda?_

There was no answer, and Obi-Wan looked away, trying to turn the taps on for him to pour a glass of water. Nothing came out, and his thirst rose through him.

_This is just perfect. No lights and no water until morning._

Obi-Wan leaned against the counter, and placed his hands over his face.

Could his life get any better?

Or worse?

ooo

His mask was annoying him.

Just the constant sound of his mask as it supplied him with oxygen, keeping him alive. He hated it.

He hated it completely.

Darth Vader opened his eyes, glaring at the side of his meditation sphere, grinding his teeth together, but the continuous suction of his mask made it nearly impossible for him to hear his own natural breathing, or even attempt to breathe himself.

Palpatine had told him to let it go, and move on. Focus on other Jedi uprisings, but he couldn't shake it off. Obi-Wan Kenobi tore his life apart.

He took everything from him. His life, his home...

His Wife...

Tears rose, but he quickly tried to brush them away, only to find his hand smack against his mask.

Stupid Jedi.

Wincing at his now pounding head-ache, Vader flicked some switches in his seat, and got up out of his seat, heading out of his quarters and into the Bridge of the Cruiser, his deadly breathing sounding throughout the corridor.

Troopers moved out his way, remembering what had occurred this afternoon; he had strangled an Officer. It was the Man's own fault; they had located a Jedi, and had tailed it through the system he was stationed in that very moment, and nearly cornered it on one planet. However, due to a slip up in the Officer's hands, they lost the Jedi, and Vader last saw it rushing off, giving a cheeky wave at the firing Troopers, and into the forest. They had burned the forest later, in an attempt to spare the Officer's life, but his patience wore thin. No body had been found.

As a result, he lost his temper, and used the Force to choke the living daylights out of the Officer, as he clawed Vader's boots, pleading for mercy.

He still needed to wash his boots from the Man's hands.

Scowling, Vader headed onto the Bridge, and paused, staring out the window. "Are there any more signs of Jedi?"

"Not yet, Lord Vader," An Officer answered- the very officer that had replaced the one he had strangled. "We have spies in every key system, trying to locate them, but to no prevail."

Vader gave a scowl. "Any leads on the whereabouts of Obi-Wan Kenobi?"

Everyone on the ship knew that Vader's fascination with the Former General of the Republic was obvious, and that the Dark Lord would stop at nothing to try and find him.

"Only what we have found out so far; that he disappeared after Mustafar, and the Nubian Cruiser he had piloted is no longer around," The Officer answered carefully. "But we will find him my Lord."

"What is your name?" Vader asked.

"Officer Roberts sir," The Man answered.

Vader gave a short nod, and turned away, heading back to his chambers. He must consult his Master over this matter.

_I'll find you Obi-Wan Kenobi. In any way possible._


	3. Part I, Chapter 2

**Wow, another update in a day! In truth, I'm at least five chapters ahead, but once I've proof read them, then I'll put them up on the fic. **

**Just to answer someone's review; Vader had an obsession with Obi-Wan for the first year of the Empire. After finding no evidence of his survival or his Death, after Mustafar, Vader just assumed that Obi-Wan is missing and presumed Dead.**

**That was until they met for the final time on Death Star.**

**I hope you like this update, and don't worry! We are getting to action soon enough! Please review!**

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><p><em>A SIGN IN THE FORCE<em>

Obi-Wan stared out his window at the twin suns, slowly rising into the sky, dying the horizon in a magnificent gold and scarlet. He clutched the spanner in his hand, now distracted from the task he had been at for the past two hours, since he had been up after his dream; repairing an old speeder, so he could get into town quicker and easier.

He still had Greivous' old ship, stowed away in the small crate behind his home, but he had a feeling he would need to sell the ship for money and therefore buy food. He had hardly anything to eat in the house just now, and his hunger was starting to get the better of him. Groaning, he turned back to the speeder he had found a few yards away from his home, and began to screw the wheel back into position, wiping a small rag over his forehead to keep the sweat away from his eyes.

What he would kill to get a bath, to remove the dirt and grime from his body!

With no running water, he had no way of getting clean, and no way of getting a drink. He had already commed for assistance at the Lars Homestead, but there was no answer; Owen had made it pretty clear he did not want to talk to Obi-Wan at all. Scowling, he finished screwing the tyre, and headed to the sink next, opening the cupboard and sticking his head in, checking the pipes.

It seemed easy to fix, to those who knew mechanics, and he knew a lot.

Soon, after a few bumps on the head, and swear words later, he was able to get some running water, and by now, it was midday. His stomach gave a protest, a growl rumbling through the hovel. He would go into town and find something to eat.

A knock made him jump, bang his head and swear, and he got up, rubbing the back of his head as he walked towards the door, scowling, and opened it carefully, hoping that it was not the Impericals that had found him. Using the Force, he prepared himself for who was on the other side...

To find a young Woman, with dark hair, carrying a basket, with the occupants hidden under a cloth to protect them from the glaring sun. He knew that this was Beru, Owen's wife, and Anakin's sister in law. Compared to Owen, she was a kinder person to Obi-Wan.

She smiled, and said, "Hello Obi-Wan. I have some of our harvest here."

Obi-Wan blinked, and said, "How much?"

Beru laughed at that, and placed the basket down, showing fresh fruit and bottles of blue milk. "No charge. Owen doesn't know I'm here, and it's a thank you for bringing Luke into our lives."

Obi-Wan felt his heart fall. Luke...

"Would you like some tea? I was just about to make some myself."

Beru looked up at him, and said, "I'm afraid I must get back, before Owen gets worried; there are hints that there's some Tusken Raiders abroad, and I need to get back before they arrive."

Tusken Raiders. Joy.

"Well, shall I drive you? Just in case?" Obi-Wan asked, already taking his keys.

Beru looked worried, and said, "Oh no, Master Jedi. I'll be fine; it's not far, and I have brought a speeder with me already."

_Of course it's not far. I need to keep an eye on Luke._

"Very well," Obi-Wan said in defeat. "Thank you Beru."

"It's my pleasure, Obi-Wan," Beru said with a smile, and she left him, heading back out into the desert. Obi-Wan watched her go with a sigh, and lifted the fruit inside out of the sunlight.

_HELP THEM..._

Not again!

Obi-Wan scowled, and shoved the fruit into his cooler, before saying _help who, exactly?_

_There are others that need your help! Other Jedi!_

_But it's just me and Yoda!_

There was silence, and Obi-Wan slumped down into his seat, rubbing his forehead. Who exactly was he meant to help? What Jedi? There was none left!

Leaning on his table, he stared at his hands for a moment, and rubbed some mud off the back of his hand.

_There's a meeting in a few days...They need you!_

Obi-Wan growled in frustration. _Who need me? You haven't answered my question!_

_There are eight other Jedi, meeting at Kessel. They have already answered each others call. Please, before they die, help them!_

Obi-Wan blinked. Was there truly other Jedi out there, or was this some trick by the Dark side in disguise sending him a message to try and leave Tatooine, and head over to Kessel? He couldn't let that happen; Luke would need him soon to train him.

_Please, don't wallow in your pity Obi-Wan Kenobi!_

Now, that grabbed his attention! _How did you know my name!_

_I know many things about you, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Please, don't give up on the Jedi's survival yet!_

Obi-Wan frowned, and said, "Yeah, I've given up on you. You should have warned us that Anakin was turning!"

_I didn't know that the Dark side was that strong in him... I would have warned you._

Obi-Wan snorted, and turned away, blocking out further communication with the Force, heightening his shields.

_You can't ignore me forever! Please!_

Obi-Wan poured his tea, and closed off his shields to the Force itself, hearing nothing, and sat down, sipping it. Relaxing back in his seat, he closed his eyes, and took a deep breath, falling into a light meditation.

Pain erupted through his head, and he gasped, falling off his seat.

_YOU CAN'T IGNORE ME FOREVER!_

Obi-Wan whimpered, holding his head, the pain rising through him. Finally, it stopped, and he knelt there, panting heavily, before raising his head.

_Please, find them before it's too late._

The Jedi closed his eyes, and whispered back.

_Where are they on Kessel?_

The Force remained silent; before it answered.

_I'll let you know closer to the time._

ooo

"Lord Vader! Lord Vader!"

He gave a scowl, and turned to the excited Stormtrooper as it rushed towards him. "What is it?" He demanded.

"Lord Vader, we received a tip off!" The Trooper said in excitement, practically ready to wet himself. "About the Jedi!"

Vader perked up, hoping, just hoping, that it was who he hoped it to be. The last thing he needed just now was to find out that this was not Kenobi...

In which case, he would _strangle_ the Trooper to the pits of Mustafar, before throwing him in.

"We have located a Jedi, known as Bultar Swan!" The Trooper said.

Those were his last words.

The Trooper cried out in pain, as his throat was crushed in an instant, falling to the ground immediately, dead. Vader kicked the body over, and stared down at him, before stepping over.

He needed to meditate on this, and maybe, he needed to return to Coruscant and discuss with his Master what to do about the remaining Jedi from the Order.

Sometimes, it annoyed him at how his Master would never heed his wishes; he had been promised that he would learn how to control Death, stop people from dying, but unfortunately, it had cost him Padme. A sigh sounded through his mask, as he walked to the hangar, and barked an order.

"Prepare my shuttle! I wish to return to Coruscant immediately!"

The Troopers scrambled around, and a couple ran to Vader's personal shuttle, starting it up for the Dark Lord. Laughing, Vader walked to the ramp, as the shuttle hummed before him, ready to bear him on his journey to the Inner Core.

It was sometimes best to meet with the Emperor in person, and right now, he still had some training to do, and fully ascend into the Dark Side of the Force. Maybe now, he could become even more powerful than before, and hopefully take an apprentice.

Ahsoka was nothing to him now, just a faint memory. In the mind of Vader, he never, _never_, had an apprentice. She was a traitor to him now, and he was glad she was gone for good.

Deep down, he knew that it wasn't right, thinking that, but he didn't care about his old life anymore. The new one was even better, apart from the snag that he was on life-support for the rest of his life.

"Entering hyperspace," The pilot sounded, and the dreaded lurch of the ship made him jump slightly, but he kept his breathing calm and gentle, staring straight ahead at the window and the dazzling lights of hyperspace.

_I'm coming home._


	4. Part I, Chapter 3

**Here we go! And thank you so far for the great reviews! I'm having difficulty with the next chapter, but I will get it done! Just proof-reading.**

**But here we go! Now we move onto some action, and introductions of other Characters!**

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><p><em>THE LAST OF THE JEDI<em>

She had been running for a while now, but it was in her blood to not give up so easily. Sitting in the trees, she stared down at the ground, balancing against the trunk, branches under her feet, waiting for the Troopers to pass below her.

It had been a few days since the fall of the Jedi Order, and the Republic. And now, every Jedi that were still alive, if any, were on the run, or in Hiding.

The sound of voices filtered to her ears, and she quickly held her breath, trying to calm herself down as her Master had taught her, staring down at the ground as the group of white Troopers appeared below her, staring around for any sign of her.

Holding her breath, Bultar Swan placed a hand on her sabre, ready to ignite it once they stared up at her, and located her through the branches of the tree. Her heart thumped in her chest, loudly, and she whispered that she could quieten the pounding.

Finally, the Troopers left, and she heaved a sigh of relief. Carefully, and as quietly as she could, Bultar leapt from the tree, landing easily and silently on the ground, before darting away into the thick bush, making sure that her footprints were not recognisable as she went. A few times, she stopped when she heard another set of footsteps sounding through her ears, and would glance back.

Finally, she turned, and grabbed her sabre, igniting the blade and pointing it at the darkness.

"Show yourself!" Bultar shouted, bracing herself immediately, just in case it was Vader or the Stormtroopers...

A Girl, no older than she was, appeared before her, a sabre also in her grip. Bultar peered at her, and then said, "I know you..."

"Bultar!" The Girl rushed towards her, but kept her distance from the sabre, and the Jedi before her, just in case it was a trick.

"Sia!" Bultar cried in happiness, and lowered her sabre, extinguishing it, but keeping her senses up just in case trouble got closer to them. She embraced her sister-Jedi, and then said, "How did you survive Order 66?"

"Believe it or not," Sia-Lan retorted. "Rather easily, despite everyone's comments about how I fight and such."

Bultar rolled her eyes, and latched her sabre on her belt, patting it before saying, "Did you get the message?"

"Yes," Sia-Lan answered. "A few days ago; a gathering is happening on Kessel. The Force wants to unite the last few Jedi together and destroy the darkness that is prevailing. I only hope there are enough of us to keep the storm at bay."

"I hope so as well," Bultar said sadly. "If not, we will soon go extinct."

"Shadday has sent me a message as well," Sia-Lan said. "She has a plan."

Bultar nodded; Shadday was always the planning kind of Jedi. The Human was a Young Knight, but was incredibly intelligent, and capable of fighting her way out of situations through careful planning and deception, such is the Jedi Way.

Or what was left of it.

Their musings had soon brought them to a City, where Bultar could see a space port, and a couple of smuggler ships. Stealing one would cause trouble, and alert the Empire to them immediately, something that they could not risk. Staring around the port, Bultar picked out different weak points that they could easily enter without much resistance, but once more, the problem was inside the port.

Stormtroopers were crawling the area, rifles ready to be fired, checking and double checking those that were determined to get aboard the ship and leave the planet, and, if by extension, the system. If the Clones recognised the pair of Jedi, then they would be in trouble, and a battle would begin. And with innocents around, that could cause problems the Jedi would not want, particularly hostage situations.

Bultar felt a tap on her shoulder, and stared around at Sia-Lan as she indicated another route that the Young Knight had obviously missed before. The dark haired Jedi nodded at the other, and they gently skidded down the hill, darting into the shadows of the port above their heads, running to the supports that lay beneath the port, keeping it up. Staring up, the pair grabbed their ascension cables and aimed for the base of the platforms above their heads, and fired.

The grapple hooks fell short, but latched onto a bar a few levels above them. Tugging to check the strength, the pair began their climb, jumping from foot-hold and grip to another, before pausing when a gunship sounded above their heads. Holding their breaths and keeping themselves pressed tightly to the side of the cliff, the pair watched the gunship as it moved above them, hovering for a second, and then heading off into the City.

"Must have received a tip-off," Bultar muttered under her breath, and Sia-Lan nodded; someone must have alerted the Stormtroopers that there were Jedi around the area, and, as a result, anyone that looked as though they were not from around here were probably now looked on in suspicion, something that only deepened the Jedi's bad luck.

Sia-Lan began climbing again once the gunship passed over, and the pair scaled the last few metres to emerge on the platform and rush behind some boxes, peering out at the Stormtroopers that patrolled the platform in groups, rifles ready, and sometimes staring around, keeping an eye on the 'aliens'. If any moved, they were surrounded instantly and demanded ID; if none were produced, they were arrested.

"Welcome to the Empire," Bultar said sarcastically. "Safety and security."

Sia-Lan nodded, and glanced around. "Maybe, we can free them?"

"We're too small a number Sia, and I think that there are maybe more Stormtroopers around that we can't see; the last thing we need is to be discovered."

Sia-Lan sighed, and said, "I know, but sometimes, we need to act against those odds, and fight back."

Bultar couldn't help but agree; if they didn't fight, and let people suffer, it went against everything that they had been taught when they arrived at the Jedi Order many years ago. However, with things at stake, Bultar didn't want to emerge into the open until it was safe to do so, and that there were other Jedi around. Heaving a deep breath, Bultar stared out at the Troopers, and carefully moved to another set of boxes, seeing some cloaks that they could use to disguise themselves. When Sia-Lan reached her side, Bultar slipped the cloak on, and the other Jedi followed, hoods up and walked to a ship nearby, a couple of smugglers being interrogated by the Stormtroopers over the items they had brought in.

Bultar nodded at Sia-Lan, and they ran into the shadows, heading to the side of the ship, peering at it with curiosity. The smugglers had their backs turned, and the Troopers as well, so it made it easy for the pair to run quietly under the ship, and to the ramp in the shadows. Darting up it, they closed the ramp, causing shouts of alarm to sound from outside and run to the Bridge.

"Get it started!" Bultar yelled.

Sia-Lan did so, flicking controls and switches, bringing the ship into life. Disengaging the landing gear, the Knight pulled the ship into the air, and onwards, glancing back at Bultar as she joined her in the co-pilot chair.

"Close," Sia-Lan whispered. "Too close."

"I know, but now, we can get to Kessel," Bultar said. "And hopefully, we won't be meeting any other enemies in the close future."

Sia-Lan nodded, and piloted the ship in the direction of Kessel, before hitting the button for hyperspace.

ooo

She was the first to arrive at the mines of Kessel, and walked into them via the front door, robes whispering on the ground. Her dark eyes found the abandoned machinery, rusting and decaying before her very eyes.

Wiping a box down, the Woman sat, waiting, eyes staring at the door, the weapon she needed to defeat Vader attached to her belt. Fingering the hilt, Shadday closed her eyes, and focused on the Force, letting it fill her entire being and calm her restless soul.

Maybe, it was time for the Jedi to fight back, and rid the Empire of Vader.

_And I have the perfect trap for the job. If I convince him that HE is here, then Vader will come._

For now, she will have to rest and wait, just hoping that other Jedi had answered her call.

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><p><strong>Ooo! I wonder what the trap is? <strong>


	5. Part I, Chapter 4

**Here is another update for you! I'm sorry if I spell the name of the town wrong, but its George Lucas that makes up the wierd names lol**

**Please review!**

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><p><em>MOS EISLEY<em>

Waking up was even harder then he thought.

He had slept in again, something that Obi-Wan thought was out of character for himself, but after the events that had happened these few days, he felt he deserved it. However, there was a consequence for him waking him at mid-day, on a planet that was nothing but desert...

At mid-day, the temperature was so high, even the desert animals would die as a result of the heat. As a native of a wet world, and raised on a planet where a desert was minimal or non-existent, Obi-Wan found the heat almost suffocating, and was lucky he was not ill as a result. Dehydration was starting to settle in as a result, and despite his Jedi training making him capable of surviving it for a few days, he was now starting to suffer. Throwing his covers off and padding his way to the kitchen, he raided the fridge for any sign of water, and grabbed a large bottle, cracking it open and draining half in a few minutes to ease the dryness in his throat and on his lips.

Resting his forehead on the top of the fridge, he groaned, and thought to himself.

_Yoda had it easy. Why couldn't I be the one on Dagobah, and he on the Desert World?_

Closing his eyes, he searched the Force for any other messages that it may decide to deliver to him, but once more, it was empty, nothing to report to him at all.

_Huzzah!_

Opening his eyes, Obi-Wan raised his head, before fetching his clothes and going for a hopefully cold shower. Once dry and clean, he adorned his cloak, latched his sabre onto his belt and headed outside, emerging into the glare of the sun.

Raising his arm, he shielded his eyes, heading to his speeder to go into town; once more, he was running low on supplies, and with his account seized and frozen, with his money now lost to the Empire, all he had was to barter for what he had left in his pocket.

Bail had set up a new account for him to buy food and water with, and hopefully, he had paid in it for the Jedi to survive on for the month. Kicking his speeder into life, Obi-Wan checked everything through on the second hand speeder, and headed through the desert, spotting the town in the distance, and praying that it was not yet crawling with Stormtroopers. If any recognised him, he would be in trouble in his first week.

The Emperor was most certainly looking for him after he defeated Anakin, so much so, that he probably wanted to kill him for not only defeating one but two of his apprentices; Maul was now diced in half, and Anakin had lost three limbs and was burned to Death.

He was so engrossed in his own thoughts, he almost crashed into a House just on the outskirts of Mos Eisley. Shaking his head, he continued into the town, and secured his speeder outside the grocery, before checking his portal data-pad. Logging on, he checked his balance, and sighed in relief when he realised that Bail had given him some money- not necessary a lot, but enough for him to survive a week.

He still needed to ration.

Someone's voice filtered to his ears, and he glanced around to hear a small group talking around a holo-projector.

"I tell you, the New Guy is freaky."

A Rodian nodded, before saying, "Tall? And that Mask... My kids scream when they see that Dude on the holo."

Obi-Wan blinked, and placed his head to one side, listening.

"Yeah, and he wields one of this light-swords. He just... Cut a guy up because they got his name wrong."

_Sith?_ Obi-Wan felt fear crawl through his body, but tried to keep as calm as possible; the last thing he needed was to lose his nerve in front of everyone else and expose himself to the Empire.

A sudden explosion and destruction of a town would _definitely_ open their eyes.

Taking some deep breaths, he tied his speeder up and walked into the grocery, buying his food for the week.

A while later, the group was still gathered around the holo, and he sat back on his speeder, tying his bundles to the small baskets he had secured on the sides of the speeder.

"Safer?"

"NO!" The same Rodian was shouting, smacking his forehead. "His name isn't that dummy!"

"Then what is it?" The Man snapped, and Obi-Wan looked up, watching in case the pair erupted into a fight.

"Vader for crying out loud! The Emperor's Right Hand Man! Head of the Imperical Army!"

Obi-Wan froze, and stared, wide-eyed, at the group as they murmured amongst themselves, parting and moving away from each other. His eyes found the holo-projector, and he saw the moving images of Walkers and Tanks before him.

Then, the sound of heavy laboured breathing, and a tall masked figure, wearing all black.

"_After the Jedi Uprising on Coruscant, Lord Vader led his assault on the Separatists on Mustafar, destroying the Droid Army. With the initiation of the New Galactic Empire, already, changes are being made to each star system. Those of non-Human origin will be registered..."_

Obi-Wan didn't hear anymore; his whole body was in shock, staring at the tall figure of Darth Vader.

Anakin Skywalker.

His hands shook, and a glass shattered across the street, right in the hand of Greedo, a Rodian Bounty Hunter, who grabbed his pistol, staring around for any sign of the person that had apparently taken a shot at him. Turning back to his speeder ignition, Obi-Wan kicked his speeder bike into life, and left the town, trying to control himself as he drove him.

This wasn't what he wanted. Vader was alive, breathing, and causing destruction throughout the Galaxy, alive because he stayed his hand, not wanting to kill an unarmed and injured opponent. He should have just pushed Anakin into the river of lava and killed him there and then, thus stopping the pain that was once more rising in his heart.

He grabbed his groceries and rushed inside, slamming the door shut and leaning against it, staring at the ground.

_I've lost my Home, my people... And I let my Jedi nature stop me from killing that Murderer at the last second! Now, the whole Galaxy is suffering because of me!_

Fresh tears began to leak out of his eyes, and he slid down the door, hands over his face, and wept into his hands.

Each tear was for every person that would die because of him.

_Ooo_

A small ripple in the Force almost went un-noticed by Palpatine, but no, he managed to sense the grief of a Jedi across the Galaxy. A fatal accident perhaps, in which the Jedi lost control.

It felt... Familiar...

He knew the signature, but it was evident from the lack of evidence of his survival that the Jedi most likely would have perished. Palpatine heaved a deep breath through nose, and stared at his gnarled hands.

The incident in his office had not only been amazing on his part, killing Jedi, but also for his excuse to turn the Public against the Jedi Order- Make them rebels that any interaction with them would result in Death.

He bore his yellow teeth, and cackled. Yoda's Order had fallen that night, and it marvelled him when he wandered the corridors after the Purge, seeing the dead bodies of all the Younglings, Padawans and Knights. Sure, a few had escaped, but soon they would be routed, and gathered together, and shot.

What a great day indeed when the last Jedi was killed, and the Order went extinct. When the last Jedi was found, he would make sure Vader brought it forth to him, and the Emperor would strike it down before him, hanging its lightsabre on the wall as a trophy.

However, Vader was more interested right now in finding his Former Master, and not surpassing to Palpatine's wishes. No, this would not do.

"_My Lord?"_

Palpatine activated the speaker on his desk, and said, "Yes?"

"_Lord Vader is arriving on Coruscant."_

Palpatine sighed, and said, "I await his arrival."

If this discussion he knew they were going to have would end up being about Kenobi, Palpatine would shock the life out of Vader. But then again, having Vader as an enemy at this crucial stage of the Empire would be unwise.

He opened up to the Force and let its dark tendrils engulf him. Meditation was always second best to him, but the dark whispers of the Force were seductive, letting him see into the future, and plan his next few steps out well.

Preparing himself for Vader, Palpatine turned to the door, and waited.


	6. Part I, Chapter 5

**Another update for you lucky people!**

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><p><em>PALPATINE'S WISHES<em>

Vader walked through the Senate, tall and threatening to the Senators, who scurried out his way and pressed against the walls of the corridor to let him pass, guarded by two red claded Men, their staffs held in their massive hands. Staring at the frightened people through his mask, Vader nearly smirked in his mask, standing taller, making him more important. He was, after all, the head of the Imperical Army, and his status made him of high calibre compared to the Senators, who wittered on about Money to help the people that were now struggling to feed themselves due to the Empire's blockades.

The Money was used to build the Death Star, which was half-complete now, but not yet fully operational with its advanced ray. Its deflector shields were up and ready, with its speedy yet powerful fighters already docked and waiting for action.

Vader walked up the steps, thinking over the designs for the new Tai Fighters, and his own specialized fighter as well, suited to help him fly due to his height, and the added weight of his life-support in his suit. Mulling over his thoughts, Vader headed further down the main corridor, the Debate Chamber on one side, and a line of offices on the other, heading to his Master's main chambers. Pausing just feet away from the door, Vader prepared himself, and entered, leaving his guards outside in the corridor the door closing behind him.

Walking to the centre of the room, Vader went down on his knee, head bowed, breathing low and calm.

"What is thy bidding, my Master?" He asked, the shadows deepening around him.

The figure, double over in the chair behind the desk, raised his head, yellow eyes staring at his apprentice as he carefully got up, circling around the desk to stand before his apprentice.

"Rise, Lord Vader," Palpatine commanded.

The Sith stood, towering over Palpatine, who wandered back to his desk. Vader stared over at him, before saying, "I wish for help to find—."

"I am well aware of your wishes to find Obi-Wan Kenobi," Palpatine interrupted firmly. "And I am unhappy that you are dwelling on his apparent survival; there is no evidence that he is still alive."

"But no evidence that he is dead," Vader found himself arguing. "He just disappeared!"

"Why this unhealthy obsession?" Palpatine demanded.

Vader stared out at Coruscant, and towards the ruined Jedi Temple in the distance, full of the decaying and stench of death. That was once his home, where he was raised and trained by the Devil himself. The very Man that had taken Padme away from him, and caused him to lose his own Children in the consequence.

Right now, he was probably holding his son or Daughter in his arms, watching the baby sleep and Padme playing with them. He had envisioned them crawling, soon walking as a youngling, and learning their first words. But now, that was not going to happen.

"Lord Vader?" Palpatine's voice sounded.

Vader blinked in his mask, and stared around at his Master, who was staring right up at him, a frown causing his deep wrinkles to scrunch even more. Vader stared back out at Coruscant, and answered.

"He tore my life apart. I want to see him scream before him as I kill him," Vader said, his voice steadily filling with anger. "I want to see the lights fade away from his eyes as I destroy him."

Palpatine sensed the anger, and smirked, staring back out at Coruscant. "Then maybe we can do something about this."

Vader gazed towards him. "What are you saying, Master?"

"My spies have received word that there is a Jedi gathering on Kessel," Palpatine said. "I wish for you to go and exterminate them, before any resistance is gathered."

Vader stared at him, and said, "What do you wish for me to do, my Master?"

"I do not wish for you to do anything, but send Troopers after them," Palpatine said. "Your rage is too much, and I do not wish for you to suffer; as you saw once we started your life-support, you can cause massive destruction."

Vader didn't say anything, but his fists clenched, breathing deep and calming. "You know I cannot do so; what if-?"

"What ifs, what should be," Palpatine said harshly. "Are just words, Lord Vader. There is no definite proof that your Former Master is amongst those Jedi."

"What if I can find proof? Will you let me hunt those Jedi?" Vader asked him, still determined to find those Jedi and exterminate them.

"If you can find proof, then I will allow you," Palpatine said grudgingly. "Any indication that your Former Master may be amongst them, then I shall let you hunt the Jedi."

Vader nodded, and bowed, before heading out of the office and into the corridor. Pausing, he turned to his Commander, stationed outside the door, and asked, "Find out everything possible about the rumoured Jedi gathering occurring in the near future."

The Commander nodded, and walked with him as they headed down the corridor, barking orders into his comm. link. Keeping his gaze forward, Vader surveyed those that passed him, eying them with a critical eye including those he knew were Jedi friends; Bail Organa, and Mon Mothma were standing, talking nearby. Once they saw him approach, they stopped, watching him until he passed, before moving down the corridor and leaving into their offices.

Growling, Vader turned to the other trooper with him, and said, "Make sure we monitor everything going on with those two."

"Yes, Lord Vader," The trooper whimpered, shuddering slightly under the threatening voice that emitted from the mask. Smirking at the fear he brought into each of them, Vader continued on until they reached his shuttle on the landing platform, and a stormtrooper running towards them.

"Lord Vader, we received a tip-off of another Jedi," He said.

"_A_ Jedi or a gathering of Jedi?" Vader demanded, towering over the trooper.

"The Gathering; we had some intel leaked from a source," The trooper said. "Apparently, it's on Kessel, in one of the mines I believe. But that's not just all my Lord."

"What?" Vader demanded.

"It's him sir. There's a rumour that your target is leading the Conclave," The Trooper said smugly. "The rumour is that Obi-Wan Kenobi is leading the Conclave- and the Jedi are rebelling against the Empire."

ooo

Tsui stared up at the cloudy sky, wishing that the rain would leave him well enough alone. The horrors he had seen in the Jedi Temple still haunted his dreams- the sight of the bodies, the Clones firing on those that stood in shock, struggled to fight back. The Younglings never stood a chance against them, even with their basic training, due to the numbers. And the Sith that had led the assault; he knew the lightsabre of each and every Jedi in the Order.

But he couldn't believe that was Anakin Skywalker.

So, in denial, he fled the Temple, followed by blaster fire, and got off-world as quickly as possible. Heaving a sigh, he traced a finger down his sabre, and stared back at the sky.

He suddenly tensed when two signatures erupted into existence, close to his location.

"Can it be-?" He whispered, and wobbled towards the signatures, sabre now in hand just in case it was a trick.

"I knew we wouldn't have enough fuel!" A Female sounded, irritated and young.

"I didn't realise that this ship would only be used for a jump to a planet nearby!" Another female sounded.

Tsui recognised those voices, and emerged, seeing the two Jedi Knights before him in the clearing, a ship behind them, obviously, judging by their argument, low on fuel to take them to where they needed to head to. The rain had was now heavy, no longer just little droplets that hammered on his blue head, drenching the arguing pair, and making them in danger of catching the cold.

"If you two were Knights, then how you managed to not go into survival mode as you were taught during a Trial, I shall never know."

The pair spun around, sabres now ignited, tense until Tsui emerged from the bushes, his own sabre visible on his belt.

"Master Tsui Choi!" The tanned Woman gasped. Tsui smiled, glad they knew who he was, and nodded. Staring at each in turn, he requested.

"What are your names, young Knights?"

"Bultar Swan," The tanned dark haired one said.

"Sia-Lan Wezz," The other dark haired answered.

Tsui smiled, and said, "Long have I hoped that other Jedi have existed. Tell me, have any of you aided a Youngling?"

Bultar and Sia-Lan's eyes fell, and Bultar whispered, "We were alone when Order 66 was executed; we do not know what happened at the Temple."

Tsui's enormous eyes fell, and he whispered, "Then, they are truly dead. The Younglings were butchered at the Temple."

Bultar stared down at him sadly. "Master Choi, their deaths will not be in vain."

"But the Future of the Jedi Order is now darkened by their Deaths," Tsui said, staring up at her through the rain. The pair looked drenched now, and he requested. "Shall we go inside your ship?"

"It's out of fuel," Sia-Lan said, shivering in the cold.

"Nevertheless, we must be out this rain, and discuss the call that Shadday has sent us."

"Shadday sent us that message?" Bultar repeated, as they ventured into the ship. "Are you sure?"

"Positive; I know her signature anywhere," Tsui answered, closing the ramp to stop the cold feasting on the trio. "However, I fear her over-confidence may bring an even greater threat to the Conclave she wishes to gather."


	7. Part I, Chapter 6

**Okay, here is the next one. Now, a certain Jedi makes a reappearance in this chapter, but we don't _actually_ see him. Can you guess who it is though? He'll be showing up later in this part of the fic :)**

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><p><em>LEAVING TATOOINE<em>

Obi-Wan didn't realise it was night-time until the whole hovel was dark, and his stomach growled in angry protest over the lack of food he had over the course of the day. He was still sitting at the door, staring at the floor, knees bent and his arms resting on them, slowly but surely getting over the shock that had plagued his mind, and the guilt he felt that weighed on his heart like a million stones. When the cold finally came, and he shivered, did he move.

Flicking on the lights in the hovel, Obi-Wan paced towards his bedroom, and kicked his boots off, watching them fly against the wall. His light-sabre came next, and instead of carefully placing it down by his pillow, he threw the object against the wall, watching as it connected with it with a massive bang and a part split, revealing the crystal beneath.

He didn't care about that anymore. The Empire could find him all they want, he would go gladly to them, and await his punishment for failing to rid the Galaxy of a person he should have killed a few days ago. Sitting on his bed, Obi-Wan leaned on his elbows, hands over his face, eyes closed tightly.

He was still waiting for Qui-Gon to contact him, but maybe, he decided that, after seeing Anakin alive and killing again, Obi-Wan was once more not worth his trouble as an apprentice. Running his hands through his hair now, Obi-Wan heaved a massive sigh, now staring at his knees, tears building in his eyes once more; deep down, he knew crying never solved anything. Actions did.

And unfortunately, his actions had large repercussions to the Galaxy at this very moment. Now, Obi-Wan dreaded the day he would tell Luke that he was the cause of the events in the Galaxy; his failure was already complete.

Something suddenly caught his attention, and he raised his head.

An orb of light was before him, white mist surrounding the sphere, which glowed on and off every moment. Curious, he stood up slowly, eying the sphere, watching as it floated just a bit higher.

_Come._

He hesitated, and when the sphere moved into the living area and paused, waiting for him to obey, Obi-Wan found his Human Nature- the nature to explore this amazing feat- over-riding his senses of warning, he took a step forwards. Glancing back at his light-sabre, he summoned it to his hand, and followed the orb into his living space. It had halted over the chest he had acquired, containing the objects of his past.

It was indicating for him to kneel and open it, the mist circling the lock.

Obi-Wan gulped, and rummaged his belt bag for the key, shakily taking it out and wandering to the chest. Kneeling down, he clicked the key in the slot, and turned it, opening the top of the chest. Heart hammering, he carefully lifted the top, and revealed his past treasures before him.

The orb floated down, and nudged against a light-sabre he had taken from its previous owner. A lump formed in his throat, and he stared at the orb.

"Why? What are you trying to tell me?" He whispered.

The orb nudged the sabre again, and Obi-Wan picked it up, staring at the orb.

_Kessel... Kessel..._

Now, what was it wanting now? Glaring, Obi-Wan rammed Anakin's sabre back into the chest and slammed the top down on the orb and the sabre, getting up and moving away. He didn't want anything to do with this anymore; he wasn't going to Kessel. He wasn't going to fail those Jedi once more.

_If you don't go, they'll die. I could not have told you._

"Then why did you?" Obi-Wan spun around to see the orb float through the wood and into the air again. "You should have left it!"

_Because this is the chance you have to redeem yourself._

Obi-Wan ran a hand through his hair, and stared at the ground, unsure what to say.

_They are meeting in two days. Decide, and leave tomorrow if you wish._

Obi-Wan opened his mouth, glancing back at the orb, but it faded, leaving him in darkness. His shoulders slumped, and he paced his home, trying to make a decision on what he needed to do. If he chose wrong, it could spell death for everyone, but if he chose right, he could rid himself of the guilt that had built up inside by trying to save some Jedi that he had caused to lose their home. Now, he had made his decision.

Sleep was starting to nag at his mind, and he wandered to his bedroom, turning the lights off with a flick of his wrist, and ventured to his bed. He lay, staring at the dark ceiling now, hands behind his head, thinking, unable to catch the sleep that had nagged at his mind, and turned under the covers, staring at the faint blue hue emitting from his light-sabre, from the crack he had caused.

Tracing a finger over it, he worked the Force into the crack, and the metal healed over, the sabre nudging slightly against him as though in forgiveness.

_I'm going to fix this,_ he vowed. _I'm leaving tomorrow morning, but with a quick stop to Alderaan first._

Ooo

When the morning came, Obi-Wan was already to go, food packed for the trip, and his hovel stripped of his possessions; Anakin's sabre was latched onto his belt, as well as his Jedi gear such as his grapple hook and Healer equipment. His furniture was locked away, and the security code activated on his home. The problem was Grievous' ship was dusted, and he had to ignited the engines to clear it.

Carefully placing his food in the small compartment next to the seat, Obi-Wan jumped out again and wandered back into his home, checking that the Jedi possessions he _was_ leaving behind were safely secure; his journal was coming with him again on this journey, but empty bottles he had which once contained bacta and adrenaline were left behind. This journey to Alderaan was going to be only a few hours, but he wanted to make sure all his necessities were coming with him. Staring one last time around his home, Obi-Wan locked the door, activated the security code, sealing the house, and walked to his waiting ship.

"Alright. Alderaan first to pick up something, and then onwards to Kessel," He reminded himself.

Jumping into the seat, he activated the ship's protective glass roof, sealing him in, and took it into the air. The systems were a bit fuzzy from disuse, but he continued his flight into the sky with his own eyes and the scanners, checking for any ships that were coming in his general direction. Checking the clearance code again, Obi-Wan punched it into the system and sent it to the Imperial Fleet just a few parasecs away from Tatooine, gaining clearance immediately to engage and go into Hyperspace once he was clear.

His thoughts drifted to Luke again, but he had to trust Owen and Beru with him; Luke was safe as long as he was careful. Obi-Wan had also contact Beru to let her know he was going off-world, and if anything happened, she was just to contact him, and he was on his way in minutes. Soon, the blue sky of Tatooine was engulfed by a dark purple, and then the cold blackness of space, twinkling stars greeting his ascent.

"Here we go," Obi-Wan muttered, checking the systems again to make sure he was able to make the jump to hyperspace. With the all-clear, he flicked the switches for stabilization on entry into the jump, before hitting the main button.

Soon, in a flash of grey, he was gone, leaving Tatooine behind.

Ooo

Bail Organa sat in his proud living area back home on Alderaan, checking over bills and all-sorts. His thoughts drifted to the gurgling baby in Breha's arms, Leia now awake and obviously demanding a feed. Smiling, Bail pulled a face at the baby, making her giggle, and returned to his duties.

"Oh, Senator Organa!" The annoyingly high voice of the gold Droid standing nearby sounded. "I have to tell you something; a transmission just came through from an unidentified space-craft, bearing an odd security code."

Bail gazed up as the Droid waddled towards him, and asked, "Who was it C3PO?"

3PO hesitated, and said, "A... Strange Man called Obi-Wan Kenobi. Does that name mean something to you?"

Bail and Breha both froze, and the Viceroy stood up, staring at C3PO. "I'll take this call in my office. Breha? I'll be back soon, I promise you."

The Queen nodded, and returned to Leia, who was now upset that she wasn't getting any attention, making comforting noises to the orphaned baby. Following C3PO into his office, Bail requested the Droid to close the curtains, and stand outside the door in the corridor, and keep watch. Muttering about strange actions of Humans, 3PO did just that, the room soon shrouded in darkness until Bail activated his holo-projector, the blue form of a sitting robed Man appearing before him.

"Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi," He greeted.

"_Senator Organa,"_ Obi-Wan greeted back. _"I am glad you answered; C3PO has been demanding from me for ten minutes my nature of the call. And why it was secret."_

"I shall speak with him. What can I do for you?" Bail asked, observing the Jedi.

"_I need your help,"_ Obi-Wan said. _"I know it is against Yoda's wishes—"_

"If it is against Yoda's wishes what you plan to do, don't," Bail interrupted.

"_I need to get to Kessel; there is a Jedi Gathering. Unfortunately, the ship I have cannot bear the journey with the fuel it has left in the tank,"_ Obi-Wan sighed, and continued. _"I need to refuel on Alderaan before heading for Kessel."_

"I understand your dilemma, but what of Leia? I can't let you take her just yet."

"_There is no need; I am making this journey alone. I am not trying to reform the Order with so few of us,"_ Obi-Wan said. _"Leia is safe with you. I know she is."_

Bail heaved a sigh. "So, just fuel?"

"_And, if possible, Artoo if he is available for another mission."_

Bail couldn't help but smile at this; the little astro-droid had been getting steadily bored since it had arrived here, and maybe this trip would be good for the little genius Droid. "Alright. I shall discuss it with Artoo after the call. When do you arrive?"

"_I should be arriving within the hour at your Palace."_ Obi-Wan observed Bail's features. "_You're... Not angry with my decision? Despite the risk?"_

"I cannot say it's not got its risks, because it does," Bail answered. "If you are happy with this, Obi-Wan, then you are free to do so. However, I advise caution."

"_I am always cautious,"_ Obi-Wan said with a hint of a smile. Bail couldn't help but smile as well; it was good to see the Jedi Master smiling after what he had been through. The trauma of his experience was too high a burden.

When the pair parted with each twin, the last he saw of Obi-Wan was a sad Jedi, his eyes betraying the weight of the guilt (not that it was his fault) and the loss he had felt over the destruction of the Jedi Order. The Man had not yet grieved.

Suddenly, Bail found himself question Obi-Wan's sanity just now; was the supposed gathering on Kessel his figment of imagination? Caused by his desperation to find closure, and that he and Yoda were not the only survivors of Order 66.

"Obi-Wan, are you sure you're up to this?" He asked now. "I could find out definite proof to see if this gathering exists."

"_I know it does,"_ Obi-Wan said harshly. _"The Force has been giving me signs."_

_The Force..._ Bail refrained from rolling his eyes. "You're going on some mystical energy that powers you Jedi?"

"_Please Bail,_" Obi-Wan looked desperate now. "_This means something to me; if I can convince the Jedi there to go into Hiding and live, it shall give me closure on what had happened."_

Bail sighed; he hated it when Obi-Wan looked so... _Desperate._ It made the strong, confident Man he knew look like a Child, begging for comfort from his parents. "Alright," He finally said. "Alright. You can land here, refuel and rest if need-be. You can leave for Kessel as soon as you're ready to."

"_Thank you Bail,"_ Obi-Wan said. _"Once again, I don't know how to repay you."_

"By staying alive my friend," Bail answered. "By staying alive."

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><p><strong>Did you guess who the Jedi is? Alright, clue; he was mentioned in ROTS, and made an appearance in the Phantom Menace :)<strong>


	8. Part I, Chapter 7

**Here we go. The next chapter! So far, thank you for your wonderful reviews! And here we go with the next chapter!**

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><p><em>A SKYWALKER TWIN<em>

The ship appeared from hyperspace, heading towards the snow-white planet with gusto, entering the atmosphere and through the clouds that had smothered the sky. When the cloud broke and the planet became visible underneath, Obi-Wan relaxed, and steadily took the ship down to the snow-covered surface, a smile slowly appearing over his face.

It felt good that he would see Bail again, and meet his wife as well, but it was also a mission in a way to check little Leia Skywalker. Obi-Wan sighed, thinking of that baby, and hoping that she was happy and well under the care of Bail; he sensed that he would treat her well, raise her to be a magnificent person, like her Mother.

Obi-Wan headed over to the capital, seeing Bail's Palace in the distance amongst the fog that had formed in the early morning that had ascended on this side of the planet. Suddenly curious if he had accidently woken Bail up from his sleep, Obi-Wan double checked the time on the dashboard of the ship, relieved that it was only ten in the morning; Bail would be up by now, doing his Senator duties. Steering the ship towards the Palace, Obi-Wan slowed his descent, and carefully touched down on the platform, heaving a sigh of relief.

Sitting for a second to get use to the change, Obi-Wan soon slid the top back and jumped out, pulling his cloak around him to keep warm. His breath rose as a mist before him, as he shivered delicately- use to the heat of Tatooine- and waited for someone to come and meet him. When the doors opened at the other end, his hand twitched wearily next to his light-sabre, but relaxed when he saw the stiff form of C3PO wobble towards him, before saying in his high voice.

"Senator Organa is waiting for your arrival, Master Jedi. I am to take you to him."

Obi-Wan nodded, and followed 3PO inside, glad of the warmth that immediately bathed his features and pulled the chill that had paled his skin out. Taking a deep breath, Obi-Wan smiled and continued to follow the Droid, which led him down a series of grand corridors, and outwards to a balcony.

Obi-Wan hesitated, even as 3PO announced his arrival, and only smiled when Bail stood up, and took his hands, hugging the Jedi like a brother he had once lost. He wore his long grey tunic, warm despite the cold that once again bit Obi-Wan's skin tenderly.

"Welcome to Alderaan, Obi-Wan," Bail said, smiling.

Obi-Wan nodded in greeting, before following Bail as he went to the couches, pouring out a hot beverage. Obi-Wan kept his cloak around him regardless, and shakily accepted the brown beverage, sipping it. Instant warmth rose through his body, making him sweat in his heavy cloak immediately, so slipped it off.

"Bail, thank you for this," Obi-Wan said after a few moments. "I wish I can repay you for everything you have done."

"Just know that when it is time, I can call for you," Bail requested, observing the Jedi with a critical eye. "When was the last time you ate properly?"

Obi-Wan couldn't answer that; he had to admit he was a bit worn and peaky. His diet had been unsteady recently, with periods of rationing his supplies and starving sometimes so that he could have a meal later. Staring at the murky depths of his beverage, Obi-Wan answered truthfully. "For a while."

Bail sighed, and turned to 3PO. "Bring a big plate of food for our friend here. And tell the nurse that we will be visiting Leia soon today."

"Yes Senator," 3PO clattered away, leaving the two Humans in peace. Turning to Bail, Obi-Wan asked.

"His memory wipe seems to have worked."

"Yes, for a while," Bail said. "Captain Artilles had to chase him at one point; he's not a difficult Droid to catch though. We erased Padme's existence from his memory, and your survival in case the Empire decided to check him; he _was_ Anakin's Droid after all."

"Speaking of which," Obi-Wan stared at his hands. "I can't believe... Vader..."

"Let go Obi-Wan," Bail said. "As you say about your mythical energy, maybe it was the Will of the Force for him to survive."

"So, it was the will of the Force for me to fail," Obi-Wan pointed out. "And cause havoc in the Galaxy."

Bail sighed. "Sometimes, your Jedi logic doesn't make much sense. I hope you realise that."

Obi-Wan chuckled. "We Jedi always spoke in riddles Bail; you've been around me long enough to realise that, I hope."

At that moment, 3PO returned with a tray, and a metal bowl covering a plate of food for Obi-Wan. Setting it down before the Jedi, the Droid turned to Bail, and said, "Anything else, Senator?"

"Nothing, just go and see if Breha needs any help, thank you," Bail answered, reaching over and lifting the top of the bowl to reveal hot food; a selection of meats and vegetables on a plate, covering it complete. Taking the cutlery, Obi-Wan carefully ate, soon speeding up when he realised how hungry he was. Bail chuckled at one point when he choked, and leaned back in his seat. "I trust you would like to check Leia as well?"

"I know you will treat her well Bail; without a doubt," Obi-Wan said, pausing from his feast.

Bail smiled at the Jedi, and returned to sip his beverage. "May I ask something?"

"Okay," Obi-Wan said, raising his head and nodding.

"If this plan of yours succeeds, and the Jedi survive, what do you wish to do?" Bail requested. "They might not want to go into Hiding with you; they would want to fight."

"I have to try," Obi-Wan said. "It is Luke's destiny to defeat the Emperor, and I'm _not_ going to take his place."

Bail sighed, and said, "My question still stands; will you rebuild the Order in secret?"

Obi-Wan couldn't answer that; even with some Jedi surviving, the chances of them rebuilding the Order and teaching new Jedi with their present numbers would be too tough on all of them. Staring at his half-eaten plate of food, Obi-Wan suddenly wondered what would happen if the Jedi were saved at Kessel.

"I cannot do so without Yoda," He finally answered. "Something like this... Is outside my power."

"You still feel unworthy as ever, don't you?" Bail said sadly.

"I do," Obi-Wan said quietly. "After everything that's happened... I can't understand why the Force hasn't just abandoned me."

"Maybe it's not finished with you yet," Bail counselled. "Do not give up yet."

Obi-Wan sighed, and returned to his meal, soon finishing it. "Shall we see Leia?"

Bail smiled, and the pair departed the couches, heading into the corridor and towards a more sunlit area of the Palace. Obi-Wan gazed around, curious of the artwork and antiques that lined the walls and the expensive rugs that smothered the floor. Giggles began to sound from a room as they got closer to it, and Obi-Wan couldn't help but smile as they stood at the entrance to a spectacular nursery; toys littered the floor, with a spectacular rocking horse in one corner.

A nurse sat in a rocking chair, humming a song to a small bundle in her arms, and gazed up at the pair with a smile. "Senator."

"How is she?" Bail asked, leading Obi-Wan over to her.

"She's just falling asleep," The nurse answered, gently handing the baby over to Bail. "I'll go and prepare her bottle for when she wakes."

Bail took the chair that the nurse had occupied, smiling up at Obi-Wan. "She looks like her. Padme I mean."

Obi-Wan peered into the folds of the blanket, and smiled at the similarities between Leia and Padme. The eyes and hair were now definitely inherited from Padme, and the baby seemed to have some of her features. With a soft moan, Leia fell asleep in Bail's arms, resting against his chest.

"How... Strong is she? In the Force," Bail whispered.

Obi-Wan carefully traced a thumb over her forehead, touching the soft skin with his scarred and roughened one, feeling the baby's signature greet his own. The very pulse of the Force through her was only slight, but he had a feeling that the signature would grow stronger with age, and, if Bail requests it, she would be a powerful addition to the Jedi Order itself.

"As she is newborn, the Force is finding its feet in her," Obi-Wan said. "Luke is stronger than her, so it will develop more in him, but I still have high hopes for Leia. She might be able to maintain a strong connection with her older brother should they bond again."

Bail looked down at Leia, and said, "If she ends up bringing peace as a non-sensitive, I would still be proud of her. I don't care if she doesn't end up as strong as Luke; I'll love her still."

"I know Bail," Obi-Wan said gently. "And I am glad she has you as her Father to raise her during these times."

He removed his thumb from Leia, and managed to stifle a yawn. Smiling, Bail lay Leia in her crib, alerted the nurse, and led the Jedi to his quarters. "Artoo will be waiting for you at your fighter tomorrow at eleven; until then, you can stay here, and eat in the morning."

"Thank you Bail," Obi-Wan said. "Once again."

"Don't worry, my friend," Bail paused outside a wooden door. "Just... Try and get back to strength for this mission, but I fear that it may end up as nothing."

"You won't know unless you investigate," Obi-Wan pointed out. "But if there are more Jedi out there... I can't just let them die."

"Brave words," Bail said. "I'll keep in contact to let you know if the Emperor has sent any Forces after you, but knowing Palpatine, he was always a careful planner; he would have spies in every system, watching everyones moves."

"I made sure I landed and kept hidden when I arrived," Obi-Wan said to soothe his mind. "Don't worry."

"I _do_ worry," Bail said. "Just... Be careful tomorrow."

Obi-Wan nodded, and the two parted. Entering his quarters, Obi-Wan checked around, seeing three separate rooms; a living space with some couches, a holo and a few bookshelves, a bedroom with a large bed and dresser, and finally a fresher just for him to use. Closing the door, Obi-Wan kicked his boots off, setting them carefully at the door, and walked to his bed, placing his sabre on the small table next to it, before collapsing face-first onto the comfortable covers. Closing his eyes, he breathed in the faint smell of lavender and camomile.

Within minutes, he was snoring, fast asleep on the covers.


	9. Part I, Chapter 8

**Well, here we go! And once more, thank you for the wonderful reviews! Please, keep them coming!**

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><p><em>IMPERIAL HUNTS<em>

Obi-Wan woke early next morning to the violent knocking of his bedroom door. Sitting up, he rubbed his eyes and checked the chrono to see that it was five in the morning- at least four hours before he was suppose to leave. Groaning, he got out of bed and pulled on his cloak, going to the door and opened it to reveal a panting Bail.

He himself looked as though he just got out of bed, but also that he looked as though he had been running a mile to get to his room. His black hair was damp with sweat, and a flush on his skin revealed the heat that seared from his skin. Sensing his panic, Obi-Wan immediately asked.

"Bail, what's wrong?"

Bail gazed at him, and said, "C3PO... Found out you were a Jedi... He alerted the Imperials near the Palace... They're coming..."

Obi-Wan froze, panic rising through him. This was not good!

Turning and running back into his quarters, he packed everything and changed immediately into his Jedi attire, latching his sabre onto his belt. Swinging his bag onto his shoulder, Obi-Wan ran into the corridor, Bail in pursuit, his boots clicking on the ground as he ran.

He could hear the sound of armoured feet rumbling behind him, and he turned to Bail.

"Get back to your room and hideaway; the Impericals can't know you are aiding a Jedi," Obi-Wan ordered him. "Go Bail."

Bail shook his head. "I can stall them. Tell them the Droid's memory is faulty and he is untrustworthy."

"No, just go," Obi-Wan gently shoved the Alderaan Senator away, and continued running down the corridor, just as an explosion rocked the Palace, and the windows near him blasted inwards, showering him in glass shards, puncturing his bag. Breathing heavily, his muscles straining as he tried to wake them up quickly, Obi-Wan grabbed his sabre immediately, just in case he came into view of any Impericals and was shot at.

He rounded a corner and crashed head-long into C3PO, flipping over the upturned Droid and landed heavily on his back. Breathless, he watched the Droid flail, and felt anger rising, immediately grabbing the Droid around the neck.

"Why did you alert the Impericals?" He demanded.

"My first priority is to protect Princess Leia from your Kind," C3PO announced proudly, his eyes staring blankly at Obi-Wan. "And the Senator and Queen; you should not have come here."

Obi-Wan gritted his teeth; maybe it wasn't such a good idea to erase the Droid's memory after all. Maybe, it would have sorted this mess out, and he would not be fleeing for his life this very second.

He was so engrossed in his rage that he didn't hear or see the Impericals getting closer, until C3PO shouted. "This is him!"

Obi-Wan backed off, touching his belt for his light-sabre, only to find it missing. When the Impericals opened fire, he jumped behind a wall, shielding himself from the blaster fire, and only peering around when he saw them getting closer, continuously firing, now realising he had no light-sabre in his hand or on him at that present moment.

Panicking, Obi-Wan knew that risking a Force-push at this magnitude of fire would be deadly, and he would end up getting killed. Already, he could see Vader's smug face when they dragged his body to him, and, to make sure he was dead, the Sith Lord would slit his throat, and hang his sabre on the wall when they got hold of it.

Then he remembered.

Obi-Wan reached into his bag and grabbed Anakin's light-sabre, fumbling with the ignition switch, trying to distract himself from the blood smears that lined the black metal, and the screams of every individual that had been struck down by the light-sabre.

Finally, the aqua blade appeared, and he emerged, parrying shots back at the Impericals, advancing towards them as they advanced to him. Seeing a glitter of metal on the ground, Obi-Wan summoned his 'sabre from the ground into his left hand, igniting that and using both blades to fight against the now faltering Impericals.

"CONTACT LORD VADER!" Someone shouted. "WE NEED HELP!"

Panic rose at those words, and Obi-Wan shoved his hands out, slamming the Storm Troopers back against the wall, before turning and running. If Vader was on his way, Obi-Wan didn't want to be near him; he couldn't face him just yet while his emotions were unsteady, and he was tired. Extinguishing both blades, Obi-Wan darted down a corridor, shielding his head as more blaster fire rained towards him, and jumped out a shattered window, sliding down the slanted wall.

The bitter wind and snow slapped his skin, turning it red as he descended with growing speed. He tried to dig the heels of his boots into the stone-work, but the frost and ice that had formed was making it hard, and he was in danger of moving face first instead of feet first. Seeing the edge approach, along with a couple of sharp spires, Obi-Wan reached out with his grapple hook in hand, and slammed it into the stone-work, activating it. His feet touched the grate of the edge of the roof, and he grabbed the edge, feeling the tug on his waist as the hook struggled a bit with his weight. His hands ached as he held on, feet scrapping against the wall as he struggled to get a hold for his feet. Pulling himself up, Obi-Wan rolled onto the more flattened area of the roof, and stood up, boots sliding slightly at the ice that had formed, praying to the Force that there was no Impericals on their way, and on jet-packs.

The sound of machinery came to his ears, and he glanced around, Storm-Troopers on jet packs appeared through the mist.

_Once again, I spoke too soon._

Obi-Wan continued to edge along, freeing his grapple and returning it back to its holster. Leaping down, he edged along the small edge of another roof nearby, praying a balcony was nearby that he could jump on. The landing platform was nearby; he could see his ship, and a little blue-white cylinder waiting for him as well.

_ARTOO!_

He panicked, and tried to quicken his pace without falling, hearing the Jet-Troopers get even closer.

"Open fire!"

Obi-Wan grabbed his 'sabre and parried a shot back at a trooper, who just flew out the way. He needed a plan, before he ended up getting shot off the balance.

Seeing another slanting roof on his left, heading to another flat edge, he jumped down and slid down once more, hearing the Impericals shout instructions, extinguishing his sabre and leaping off as high as possible, aided by the Force. Praying, he watched as he soared through the air, high at first, and finally began to fall.

"No, no, no, no!"

His foot landed on the edge of the roof he tried to jump to, and slipped, making him grab via his hands, the stone digging into his hands and causing pain to erupt. Taking some deep steady breaths, Obi-Wan climbed back up, hands sore, and stared around to see the landing platform closer to him than before. If he jumped again, aided by the Force, he might make it, but already, he felt drained, and needed to rest a bit before attempting another large jump as he had just now.

"There he is! Tell Lord Vader he's on the South side!"

Obi-Wan gazed around, and ran, heading in the direction of the platform, seeing his ship getting closer. Bracing himself, he built up what was left in his reserves and increased his speed, sabre out just in case.

His foot kicked off from the edge, and he soared into the air, hearing Artoo whistle loudly in surprise and happiness. Then, it struck him.

He wasn't going to make it.

The Droid activated its jets and soared into the air, flying towards him as Obi-Wan began to fall, sabre in hand, to the sharp rock edges hundreds of feet below him. Closing his eyes, he prayed the Force to numb him for the pain, for when he was impaled and killed.

Then, something metal touched his hands, and he opened his eyes, seeing Artoo inches from his face, and grabbed the Droid, holding on for dear life as it flew towards the platform, landing and deactivating its jets. Exhausted, Obi-Wan lay on the cold ground for a moment, hearing the Impericals in the distance, eyes closed. When Artoo nudged against him, he opened his eyes and whispered. "Hello there."

Artoo whistled, and he slowly got up. "Prime the engines. We need to leave, now."

Artoo beeped and rolled to the ship, activating the slot in the ship and disappeared up into it, head appearing at the top. Within seconds, the engines ignited, ready, and the top opened, making Obi-Wan run towards it and jump in, shoving his bag down into the space for his legs, now cramped, and steered the ship into the air, ducking blaster shots as the glass closed above his head.

Taking steady breaths, Obi-Wan steered upwards, seeing the Cruisers descend into the sky, fighters already heading towards him.

"Artoo! Evasive action!" Obi-Wan shouted at the Droid, receiving beeps and whistles in reply. Bracing himself for the fire to occur, Obi-Wan tried to get the weapon system online, while Artoo spun and dived the ship- something that _Anakin_ was use to, but not Obi-Wan. "NO! Nothing too fancy please!"

Artoo gave an irritated squeal, and Obi-Wan heard the hyper-drive being activated as they steered between the two cruisers, heading for clearer space as it came into view.

The cruisers opened fire, but Obi-Wan didn't panic as he heard a low hum, gaining in volume and tone.

For a split second, he felt something touch his mind, trying to invade and brush it, a sudden darkness that made him weak and clammy.

"NOW ARTOO!" Obi-Wan yelled.

The ship erupted into hyper-space, and he was gone, heading to Kessel.


	10. Part I, Chapter 9

**Here we go! Enjoy this update!**

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><p><em>ARRIVAL AT KESSEL<em>

The ship appeared from the depths of space, as the three occupants gently steered it towards the planet nearby, grey in colour. With a few flicks of a switch, Bultar stabilized the ship and its occupants, breathing a sigh of relief as she realised that the planet was not surrounded by Impericals, and that their entry went unnoticed.

So far, the Empire had not learned of their meeting.

Sharing a look with Sia-Lan, Bultar steered the ship down towards the planet, keeping their senses alert and focused for any enemy that may be close, or coming closer. Checking the scanners, Bultar nodded at the other female Jedi and carefully, they took the ship down towards the planet, seeing single flashes of lights in their eyes.

For a Jedi, to sense another familiar presence, it was like brightness inside them. Depending, of course, on the individual that is doing the tracking, and what side they were on. If it was a Sith (as it was nowadays) it would be cold, and full of hatred, and if it was a Jedi, warmth would flow through them. Right now, it was all warmth, and no cold feelings resonated through their bodies.

Smiling in relief, Bultar sped up the descend and broke through the atmosphere and the rain that had begun to fall. Both female Jedi groaned; they had just come from a planet where the rain hammered down on their heads, and this was, even though lighter, a bit ridiculous.

"Trust Shadday to get a rain based planet," Tsui muttered. "I've had enough of rain."

"You can tell her that when we see her," Sia-Lan answered, flicking some switches. "As long as I don't get my head bitten off."

They all chuckled at that; Shadday had a knack for having a short fuse. Turning their gaze to the planet, as they moved through the rain, Bultar checked that her sabre was latched firmly onto her belt, before landing the ship on the rain swept platform outside the mines.

"Trust Shadday to choose an abandoned mine as well," Bultar said, noting the disused machinery and rust forming on the sides.

The trio moved to the main door, carefully using the Force to open the door and walk into the darkened hallway, a destroyed conveyer belt passing before them down the corridor in-front. Staring down either side, the trio silently ran to the faint pulses of signatures that they felt, light-sabres out and ready in case anything threatening jumped out at them. Tsui huffed at one point when he tripped over a wire, and Sia-Lan almost screamed when a spider the size of a rat scurried across the floor. Calming themselves, the trio continued their walk, pausing when they came to a series of doors.

"This way," Sia-Lan said, and they followed her down another maze of corridors, and the rusting conveyer belt that seemed to be like a bread trail for the group. Finally, voices began to drift towards them through the corridors, and their paces quickened, heading towards the voices, and paused at the doors leading into the main room- where packaging and management obviously occurred.

Familiar voices sounded, and Bultar said. "Looks like Koffi has made an appearance. What a shame."

"You hate that Jedi, don't you?" Sia-Lan asked.

"Hate is such a strong word. I dislike him to a certain degree," Bultar answered and they giggled.

"When you two are done acting as teenagers, shall we go in?" Tsui muttered, and, in one fluid movement, Bultar pushed the main doors open.

It seemed that they were the last to arrive.

Shadday stood in the centre, wearing grand white Jedi robes, crates surrounding her and machinery in the background. Apart from her, there were three other Jedi that had appeared; it seemed the majority was mostly human, and in these times, when the Empire had just brought in laws for Aliens, that Human Jedi were most likely to survive. Appearances were harder to change for the non-humans.

Shadday smiled at the trio, and said. "Please. Sit."

Bultar smiled at her friend, and wandered to a crate, Sia-Lan joining her, while Tsui wandered off towards the dark-skinned Man just visible from the shadows.

"Koffi," Bultar nodded in greeting.

"Bultar Swann," Koffi grunted, his 'sabre levitating in his hand.

"Are we all here?" Shadday finally said. "Apart from our last visitor?"

"Who?" Tsui asked, staring at her.

"Believe it or not. Vader," Shadday said. "I managed to lure him by using a name, that I have found he detests above all others. I don't know why he is infatuated by this particular Jedi; maybe, they had a history together."

"Who?" Bultar demanded.

"Master Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi," Shadday answered.

At that moment, a massive surge in the Force, followed shortly by another which cancelled it out, erupted into being, enough to almost make every Jedi in the room jump. Staring around, Shadday smirked, and said.

"He's here."

Ooo

Obi-Wan stared at Kessel before him, flicking some switches to aid his descent, checking the current climate on his scanners.

"Rain season just in. Joy," Obi-Wan muttered.

^Master^

The screen before him lit up with Artoo's words, making Obi-Wan focus on what the Droid wanted to say.

^Please, let me come with you. I don't wish to leave you alone^

"What if the Impericals show up? Artoo, I need you to keep alert," Obi-Wan countered. "So, stay with the ship."

^Please! I... Feel guilty for what Master Anakin did... I heard what he said. I don't want anything to happen to you because I couldn't stop him!^

Those kind words made Obi-Wan pause, staring at the screen. Maybe, it was best if Artoo came with him; the Droid could still use its scanners to check for any arrivals in the system. Heaving a sigh, Obi-Wan nodded his consent, making the Droid whistle happily.

"Take us down Artoo."

The Droid whistled again, and the ship moved towards the grey planet, unaware of the Star Destroyer that had appeared into the system.

Ooo

Staring at the lone ship that had appeared in the distance, Vader stood for a moment, sensing the familiar presence from that ship, before turning and walking down the Bridge, heading for the group of Officers waiting for him at the doors.

"Prepare my shuttle," He barked. "I wish to go down to Kessel. Alone."

"Alone, sir?" An Officer asked, sounding worried at the Sith's rushed thought. "My Lord, please. Take some troopers down with you."

Vader stared at the Man, almost silent bar for his breathing apparatus. Maybe the Officer was right? Going down to a planet where there were Jedi- who were skilled enough to evade Order 66- was risky.

But if Obi-Wan was down there, then the Troopers wouldn't matter anyway; Vader would butcher any Jedi that defended him immediately, and without mercy.

"Very well. Prepare some squads to accompany me," Vader continued his walk down to the hangar, taking lengthy strides towards the ship that he used. Nodding at his pilot, Vader waited for the Clones to organize themselves, the blue armour illuminated in the light of the hangar.

"Shoot to kill," He ordered them once they stood before him. "If Obi-Wan Kenobi is amongst them, leave him to _me_."

"Yes Lord Vader!" They called in unison.

"Very good. Let's move," Vader headed to his shuttle, as the Star Destroyer headed down towards the planet.

Ooo

Keeping his eyes on the instruments, Obi-Wan broke through the atmosphere, and down towards the platform just visible through the rain, heaving a sigh of relief as the ship finally touched down onto the metal.

Loosening the strap, Obi-Wan leaned back in his seat; eyes closed, and rubbed his forehead, before running his hands down his face, staring at the door through the rain. Artoo beeped in worry, but Obi-Wan sighed heavily, feeling a great weight on his heart.

_This is it. Time to face the outcome of my actions._

Obi-Wan left his bag, and latched Anakin's sabre onto his belt, hidden by his own, before pulling the hood of his cloak over his head. Loosening the top, Obi-Wan felt the rain hammer down on the top of his head, before departing the ship, hearing Artoo get deposited down.

The Jedi led it towards the door, and inside, glad of the warmth that immediately besieged his cold skin, dampened by the rain. Lowering his hood, and sorting his ginger hair, Obi-Wan nodded to Artoo, and took his sabre, the eerie silence of the corridor beating down on him, and the darkness engulfing him almost entirely.

"Keep close to me Artoo," He requested, and the Droid whistled, following him as he headed towards the signatures that beckoned towards him. Following the conveyer belt, Obi-Wan moved down another set of corridors, pausing as light came to his view.

A large room, full of not one, but _eight_ Jedi greeted him, and he couldn't help but smile in relief. This meant that hope lived for the Order.

If he could convince them to go into Hiding, maybe he could set things right.

When Shadday began addressing the remaining Jedi, who had been arguing now due to something (he didn't want to know), he decided it was time to let his presence be known.

"You know Shadday, if you are organizing a meeting, maybe you should have topics to be discussed rehearsed and ready."

They turned towards him, even though he was hidden in the shadows, and one shouted.

"Who the kriff are you?"

Smiling, Obi-Wan stepped out of the shadows and into the light, most Jedi staring in awe, and relief, seeing that he was alive.

"You..." Tsui gasped. "Master Kenobi! You're alive! Thank the Maker!"

Obi-Wan stared around at each of them, smiling, before patting Artoo on the head, and entering into the Conclave.

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><p><strong>Action is coming up in a couple of chapters... And a fated meeting.<strong>


	11. Part I, Chapter 10

**Here we go! And after this chapter, we move onto the action you all desired! The Vader/Kenobi fight we have all been waiting for will begin in the next chapter!**

**Please leave the all important Review!**

**A/N: Thank you so much The Magic of the Night, for their help over the Character of Shadday :)**

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><p><em>CONCLAVE OF KESSEL<em>

Murmurs followed his movements, as Obi-Wan walked straight to Shadday, who was smiling widely, but fear drifted in her eyes, as she bowed to her fellow Jedi. Copying her movement, Obi-Wan raised his head, and stared around at the other seven Jedi around him with a critical eye, studying each survivor and finding their identity via their light-sabres.

"It is good to see you Master Kenobi," Bultar said, a smile on her face as she stood up and embraced the Older Jedi. Obi-Wan smiled as he hugged her back; it was good to see a familiar face amongst the others; out of them all, the only two he knew were Shadday and Bultar.

"It's good to see you, and everyone else," Obi-Wan nodded in greeting to the Masters that were amongst them, and turned to Shadday. "Did you start without me?"

"No, we were just about it begin," Shadday answered, and Obi-Wan sat down on a wooden box, leaning against the wall, arms folded and waiting for the meeting to begin. Artoo beeped next to him, and stopped at his side, staring at the other Jedi as well, whistling happily when Bultar patted his head and sat down next to Obi-Wan.

Turning to address the rest of the Jedi, Shadday said, "Welcome, survivors of Order 66. I called you here as today, I believe that the Jedi Order is in ruins, and now, we must discuss our options, whether we should hide away, or go up against the Empire- and retake the Republic."

Everyone was silent.

"I understand that we are... Few in number, but if we have a way to get onto Coruscant and to the Emperor, I think we can stop this dictatorship before it begins."

"Question," Koffi said, hand up. "How do you propose we defeat the Sith Emperor? His skills outmatched even Mace Windu! What chance do _we_ have?"

"There is a weapon I have in my possession that is capable of rendering a light-sabre inactive for at least a few minutes," Shadday answered. "So much so, that we can use it against the Emperor and destroy his light-sabre."

"This is all risky," Obi-Wan spoke out, and everyone turned to him. "Palpatine is smarter than you think; he's not reckless, he's not impulsive. He is a careful planner and manipulator; that is how he had the edge over us in the Clone Wars. And how he figured out to defeat us once Grievous was dead and buried."

"Then we strike at the head of his Imperial Army," Jastus spoke out. "Lord Vader."

"Indeed," Shadday said, nodding in agreement. "We are merrily waiting for his arrival now."

"You led Vader, _here_?" Obi-Wan demanded. "Shadday, how?"

"Well... Erm..." Shadday hesitated, before turning to Obi-Wan. "The reason I was surprised that you had arrived, was because... Well, I leaked your name to a contact in Vader's squad, and to another that had ties with the Emperor over the gathering; if we got Vader here, we could eliminate him and strike a deadly blow to the Emperor."

"So, you used me to get to Vader," Obi-Wan retorted. "Don't you realise how risky that is?"

"It worked though, didn't it?" Tsui huffed. "But what I don't understand is this... Why is Vader so interested in you?"

Everyone turned to Obi-Wan, who once more found himself in the spot-light. Gazing at each of them in turn, he gazed down at Artoo, who whistled in encouragement. Heaving a sigh, Obi-Wan looked up at them, and said, "It was me who defeated him, after Order 66."

"What happened?" Sia-Lan asked.

"Well, I arrived at the Temple to change the signal in the Archives," Obi-Wan said. "To stop Jedi falling into the trap should they still be alive. After fighting through the remaining Clones there, I changed the code; that's why your comms are emitting a signal to keep you hidden and stop you getting traced by the Empire should you use them. It was all me."

"Thanks," An unfamiliar Jedi spoke out. "I would have been discovered if it wasn't for that."

"I checked the security holograms, to see who was responsible," Obi-Wan didn't want to reveal that it was Anakin in the holograms, the one that had murdered and destroyed the Jedi Temple in a single night. "And it showed a Monster, killing Cin Dallig and his apprentices. Vader, I believed. So, I found out he was in league with the Emperor and Senator Amidala."

"Padme?" Bultar gasped.

"But they were married," Obi-Wan said. "Fortunately, she didn't know that her husband had turned to the Dark Side. I asked her to tell me where he is, but she refused; I think she wanted to confront Vader herself, without any Jedi provoking him, and try and convince him to go into Hiding with her, escape the Empire and return to the Light. I watched him choke her to Death."

Shadday was the only one that didn't have a look of shock, but her eyes swam with tears, staring at Obi-Wan who now looked pale and distant.

"He just... Choked her out of anger," He muttered. "He thought she had led me to kill him; I snuck on her ship, because I knew she would go and find him. The ship had landed on Mustafar."

"That lava planet? Intelligence showed that the Seppie leaders were around there," Koffi explained to some confused Jedi, who now nodded in understanding.

"Vader killed them, under the pretence from Palpatine that he could end the War if he did," Obi-Wan explained.

"But _you_ ended the War!" Shadday exclaimed. "You killed Grievous!"

"Vader didn't care about that; he was under the impression that he had stopped the War," Obi-Wan said. "I tried to reason with him, but Vader wouldn't listen to me; he was angry, thinking I turned Padme against him. She had begged for him to hide away with her, and tried to stop the conflict that was rising between me and Vader. As I said, he choked her, and we duelled."

"How did Vader end up in that suit?" Tsui asked.

"It was me that put him in there," Obi-Wan spoke. "At the end of the Duel, I got the high ground. The Sith foolishly thought his power was unlimited, and jumped into the air, trying to get on the hill; I swiped at him, and cut off three of his limbs. He fell to the river, and was set alight by the lava."

As he spoke, he was aware a tear had fallen from his eye, and looked down.

_I HATE YOU!_

"I left him there," He whispered. "After I watched him burn, and ran. I had to get Padme out of there; she died, later on."

"Why didn't you kill him when you had the chance? Save us the trouble?" Koffi demanded.

"Enough Koffi," Jastus retorted, glaring at him. "An ordeal like that would have been devastating." He knew Obi-Wan was sensitive to being told what he thought he was doing right was wrong; everyone knew that Obi-Wan was too compassionate for his own good sometimes, and this feature- the feature that made him caring and good- was enhanced by the Jedi Teachings.

Something which also would bring the Downfall of the Republic.

"Koffi is right; I should have killed Vader when I had the chance," Obi-Wan spoke out. "But the Code prevented me from harming an unarmed opponent."

"What about Anakin?" Bultar asked. "Is the Chosen One still alive?"

"No," Obi-Wan managed to choke down the lump that had formed at the name. "Vader had killed him the night he turned."

There was a silence, and Sia-Lan said, head now in her hands. "Then all hope is lost."

"No," Shadday instructed. "No, it is not lost; we have someone here that fought against Vader the first time. We can use this knowledge of how Vader fights to our advantage."

"Djem Su," Obi-Wan said. "Vader uses his new-found height and machinery to power his light-sabre strikes now; I've seen that in the holo. When I fought him on Mustafar, he still used that stance, but not to the devastating effect I am seeing now."

"But we have Jedi of all seven stances, here and now," The unfamiliar Jedi said. "And with you the Master of Soresu; we have a strong defence."

"Maki, it's still wishful thinking," Koffi argued. "Vader tore down buildings with the Force. He defeated the Jedi Order with a bunch of Clones. What chance have we got against him? Sure Kenobi defeated him, but now that thing is a killing machine- literally."

Obi-Wan heard Artoo beep, and said, "What's wrong?"

The little Droid whistled and whined, and Obi-Wan nodded. "Off you go. Power down for a while; I'll tap you when it's time to go."

The little blue astro-droid wheeled away into the corner and powered down, shutting himself off. Obi-Wan glanced at the other Jedi, and said, "Our only option, if we cannot fight, is to go into Hiding."

"Hmmm," Tsui said. "For how long exactly? A decade, a century? In case you haven't noticed, the Empire would gain strength and Sith to their ranks in that time. We will soon be outnumbered."

"Listen to me," Obi-Wan said harshly. "Hope exists! But they are not ready to be trained, or wield the Force. We just have to be patient!"

"Our patience has worn thin!" Koffi snarled, jumping to his feet. "I say we use the Dark Side! Fight fire with fire!"

Obi-Wan jumped to his own feet, and said angrily. "What, and become Sith ourselves? I'd rather _die_."

"I can arrange that," Koffi threatened under his breath. "Come on, it's our best idea! And we can fool the Emperor into thinking we're on his side, and kill him when he's vulnerable!"

"Like I said, I'd rather die," Obi-Wan repeated. "One, a Sith killed my Master, and another my apprentice! I would _never_ abuse their memories like that and turn myself!"

Koffi glared at him. "No-one asked you to turn! I would certainly turn if it means I can survive!"

"Koffi! Stop this!" Jastus retorted, getting to his feet. "We mustn't think like this; we are Jedi!"

Others nodded in agreement, and Obi-Wan calmed, sitting back down on the box, but Koffi glared in his direction, before saying. "I think that we might need to be Sith, Kenobi."

"And I am saying that the Jedi of the past did not turn to the Dark Side when times got tough to defeat the Empire!" Obi-Wan retorted. "We are branched from that Order, and we can fight the Empire as Jedi."

The others nodded in agreement, but Koffi just scowled, and sat back down, fumbling with his sabre, staring at Obi-Wan. Seeing he had won a battle of authority, Obi-Wan turned to Shadday, and asked. "What other plans have you got?"

"Apart from Hiding, fighting the Empire or going rogue, nothing," Shadday answered. "But I do have a weapon we can use to defeat Vader."

She took a metal blade from her belt. "This is a cortosis blade; the only weapon that can deactivate a light-sabre for a few minutes. If all goes to plan, we can render Vader harmless and then be able to stop him. The only problem is his Force Powers."

"I can easily lure Vader," Obi-Wan said. "Once he has my presence, his sights will be set on _me_ and not the rest of you. While Vader is distracted, the seven of you will fight his powers; the more the better, while Shadday uses the blade. Once we over-power him, maybe then, will you have a chance of killing Vader."

"And strike a deadly blow to the Empire," Sia-Lan spoke up, nodding. "With him dead, we might have a chance."

"Mind you, the Emperor is still too powerful," Tsui exclaimed. "He defeated Mace Windu!"

"Actually," Maki sounded. "I heard rumours that Mace defeated the Emperor, and that Vader stopped Mace from killing him."

Obi-Wan suddenly paused, and said, "Was Mace's body ever discovered?"

"He's dead," Jastus said sadly. "I felt his signature disappear."

Obi-Wan sighed; it would have been good to know if a fellow Council Member- bar him and Yoda- had survived. Running a hand through his hair, and making the strands stick up slightly, Obi-Wan turned to Shadday.

"You called the meeting. You organized it. What do _you_ think we should do?"

Shadday didn't say anything at first, before she finally sighed.

"I think we should go into Hiding, as a group, and continue teaching. Build the Order in secret; Master Kenobi is right. We are too few in number to fight the Empire; we must be patient, and recover what we can before the Empire takes it all."

There was some murmurs amongst the others, but Koffi kept his eyes on Obi-Wan, a sudden jeering lurking in the depths. Obi-Wan turned away from him, the hair rising on the back of his neck, and said, "I concur."

Shadday nodded, and held out the cortosis blade to Obi-Wan. "Take this, just in case we meet Vader as we leave."

Obi-Wan stared at her, before hesitantly reaching out a hand to take the blade.

An explosion shook the room, dust falling from the ceiling into their hair and robes, boxes shifting slightly, before smoke billowed into the room, all the Jedi standing with 'sabres in hand, ignited and ready.

"We have you surrounded Jedi!" A Clone sounded from the other side. "Put your weapons down and maybe we won't fire!"


	12. Part I, Chapter 11

**Well, here we go! This is the action I had promised you :)**

* * *

><p><em>A BETRAYAL<em>

Obi-Wan twirled his sabre in his hand, as the smoke erupted from the door, and headed further into the room, making his fellow Jedi choke. The cortosis blade was shot from his hand as its grip weakened around the handle, skidding across the ground.

"Bultar!" He gasped, staggering against the wall, hand over his nose and mouth. "Swan!"

The Troopers erupted into the room, blasters ready to fire, and Obi-Wan stared up through streaming eyes at them, startled at the change of armour that they had, replacing the Clone Wars ones with armour similar to that of Vader...

Immediately, he could sense him, a shroud of darkness coming closer and closer to the room, and panic rose.

_I have to get out of here! Coming here was a mistake!_

"OBI-WAN!" Someone screamed, and he ran towards their voice, shielding his head as blaster fire soared through the air, rushing to the Jedi that had screamed his name. His arm was grabbed by someone, and then that person screamed, releasing him, as he headed towards the mining shaft, Bultar just visible through the dark, holding the door open for them both to enter. "Come on!"

The Troopers were getting closer, and the other Jedi were backing off towards the wall, as Obi-Wan entered, spluttering, the shaft, Bultar with him, closing the door behind her. Staring through the cracks, he watched as the smoke disappeared, and a sudden breathing, a threatening one, rang through the spice chamber.

_He's here..._

A large black shape loomed out from the smoke, and Obi-Wan's eyes widened, as he saw Anakin for the first time since the duel on Mustafar...

"WHERE IS OBI-WAN KENOBI!" Vader roared, sabre in hand. "Where is he? Whoever tells me will be spared!"

The other Jedi did not say anything, sabres in their own hands, and Obi-Wan placed a hand over his mouth and nose to quieten his breathing. He felt a tap on his shoulder, and looked around at Bultar, who nodded behind her, as though to say, "Follow me."

He nodded, and crawled down the shaft, abandoning his cloak at the door, and followed her as she slowly moved in front, leading up to a network of rails. "This way," She whispered. "It will lead us right above them. There's an exit just there as well; you can escape that way and get off-world. I can't believe Shadday brought you into this. I am sorry."

"Swan, come with me," Obi-Wan said desperately. "There is hope, like I said. There is one that will free us, and as long as there are Jedi still alive, the Order lives. Please."

"I can't Obi-Wan; there's nothing left for me," Bultar whispered sadly, as they sat against the wall. "I just...Can't."

Obi-Wan looked at her, as she pointed up. "Let's go up now. Can you still climb after your injury?"

Obi-Wan looked surprised at that, and stared down at his arm- the same arm that had held the cortosis blade- seeing a blaster burn had severed through the sleeve and struck the skin, causing a red patch to slowly expand. "I'll be fine, I'll heal it later. Let's climb."

Bultar nodded, and stood up, grabbing the wooden supports, and began to climb upwards, Obi-Wan following her, copying her grip movement, and ignoring the pain in his arm as he headed up. "Nearly there Kenobi," He kept telling himself. "Nearly there. Just hold on."

Bultar looked down at him to check that he was managing and whispered, "We're almost there; can you hear them?"

Obi-Wan paused, listening intently, as he heard Tsui say, "We fed you lies, Vader, to lure you here, and now that you are. We shall kill you."

"I will ask _one last time!_" Vader snarled. "WHERE IS HE?"

Obi-Wan shivered at his voice, but kept his shields up high, as he kept climbing, until Bultar disappeared down another shaft. He followed her, and saw a vent before them, as they sat against the wall to rest.

"This leads onto the balcony that overlooks the area. Keep crawling if you're not behind anything, and get to the other side. There's a door there, and get through." She smiled sadly at him. "I hope to meet you again, Obi-Wan Kenobi."

"Swan please," Obi-Wan pleaded. "Come with me."

Bultar shook her head, "I cannot. If it is my time, then I must face it." She opened the vent, and whispered. "May the Force be with you."

"And you," Obi-Wan clambered out, and snuck behind some boxes, keeping his signature shielded and invisible. He glanced at the other Jedi, as they kept arguing, their voices ringing through his ears.

"HE'S NOT HERE!" Shadday shouted at Vader angrily. "It was a trick to get you to come!"

Obi-Wan took some breaths to quiet his pounding heart, and crawled out from behind the boxes, heading to another set, as Vader snarled, "If I find that you are all lying, I will kill each and every one of you!"

Obi-Wan stopped, and looked back. He couldn't just leave them...

"Go," He heard Bultar's harsh whisper, and looked back at her, as she kept waving him away. "Please, go!"

Obi-Wan nodded, and kept moving, heading towards the boxes.

"Are you so blind Vader?" Koffi sounded. "Are you so stupid that you might miss your chance?"

There was shocked gasps sounding from the other Jedi, and Obi-Wan peered over the balcony, seeing Koffi stare straight at him.

"After all, he's right above you."

Obi-Wan watched in horror, as four stormtroopers turned and fired at the supports of the balcony, making it creak, and fall on one side, revealing Obi-Wan's beige tunic and red hair, before collapsing to the ground, crushing some canisters. Hitting the ground, Obi-Wan landed heavily on his side, and winced, not daring to look up.

The Force closed around his throat, and he was lifted into the air, holding it, as Vader walked forwards, hand raised. The other Jedi were held back by the Troopers, as Vader approached him, staring at the Man he now had in his grasp.

Vader seemed to just stare at him, as though checking he was the right Jedi, and not a fraud...

If he didn't have a mask, he would have smirked.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi," Vader jeered. "Crawling to hide behind other Jedi? How pathetic."

He slammed Obi-Wan to the ground, making him cry in pain, and hold his arm, before he lifted him again with the Force, and slammed him into some boxes, before the wall. "Come on, my Old Master! Fight back!"

Obi-Wan was thrown to the ground, and lay there, panting, blood coming from a gash to his forehead. "No...I won't fight you Anakin!"

"Pick up your sabre, and fight me!" Vader snarled, ignoring his true name. "Come on! Pick it up and face me! I want you to face me when I kill you, for taking everything off of me!"

Obi-Wan stared up at him, and shook his head. "I won't...Fight you."

Vader ignited his sabre, and approached him, and nodded at two troopers. They grabbed Obi-Wan's arms, and hauled him to his knees, arms up and away from his sabre, before one grabbed his hair, pulling his head up. Vader stood before Obi-Wan; the crimson blade pointed directly at his chest, and said, "I am going to enjoy this."

"NO!"

Vader was thrown back, landing on some of his white-claded men, and the two holding Obi-Wan screamed; as a blue blade sliced their arms clean off.

Gentle hands grabbed Obi-Wan's arm, and pulled it around their shoulders, as someone who he couldn't see, dragged him away, smoke issuing from a small bomb that had been thrown...

"THIS WAY!"

Obi-Wan felt someone shove him down a shaft, and then a pair of gentle hands as another person placed his hand on their shoulder, and led him down into the darkness. "Careful!" Bultar sounded before him. "There's a drop here! Let me just put a cable down, and then we can drop down!"

"Do you even know where you're going?" Tsui demanded from behind Obi-Wan.

"Not really, no," Bultar hesitated, before looking back at Obi-Wan. "How's your head?"

"My head is alright, but I can hardly see because I have blood covering one eye," Obi-Wan said sternly. "Now, where does this drop lead us?"

"I think it takes us to some carts," Bultar said vaguely. "Carts as in, mine carts. We can make a quick exit to the landing platform."

"Sssh!" Someone sounded, and immediately, everyone went quiet.

"GET DOWN THERE, AFTER THEM!" Vader was screaming. "BRING ME KENOBI! ALIVE!"

"Well, someone needs to take his anger medicine," Tsui said in a low voice. "Wait, Kenobi. Didn't you call him _Anakin_ earlier?"

"Yes, I did," Obi-Wan answered. "That's Anakin Skywalker."

There was a shocked silence from the remaining six Jedi.

Wait..._Six?_

"Where's Shadday?" Obi-Wan asked in panic.

"She went for Koffi," A voice filtered out from the darkness. "In the panic when we were trying to get you out. But he..." There was a pause. "He killed her."

Obi-Wan recoiled at that; Shannay died for him. No, this wasn't supposed to happen! Why did this happen?

"Let's...Get moving," He said finally, after a moment's pause. "We need to get out of the mine, and head to the platform, steal a ship, and get off-world and into hiding."

Ooo

Vader hissed through his teeth, his yellow eyes, not seen due to his mask, glaring at where they had managed to escape. He was too tall to go after them himself.

There had to be a way to get to him! He was _not_ going to pass up this opportunity to get revenge against Kenobi.

"Lord Vader! We found another way to cut them off!" One trooper said, running to him. "We have troopers already there, ready!"

"Good. Kill them, but leave Kenobi alive; he's mine, and mine alone," Vader hissed, and the trooper cowered slightly, before rushing off.

_Yes, revenge will be VERY sweet indeed._

He turned to the Jedi Traitor, and said, "Now, for you. Your reward will be...substantial."

"Really?" Koffi answered, folding his arms. "What is it?"

"I will tell you soon," Vader said, turning to face the door that the Jedi had escaped through. "But first, I wish for you to go on ahead; if you encounter Kenobi... Use your imagination. Just make sure that you keep him distracted so that I can arrive unannounced."

"I know where his ship is," Koffi said, nodding. "I'll head over there, my Lord."

Koffi made to turn away, but stopped, and approached something, picking a metal blade from the floor, and turned to Vader, handing him it. "Shadday planned to use this against you."

Vader stared at the blade, tracing a finger up the sharp edge, and smirked under his mask. "A cortosis blade I believe?"

"Yes. Maybe it would be useful in your fight against Obi-Wan," Koffi announced proudly. "Renders light-sabres useless."

Vader stared at him, and said, "Thank you. Now, head off to the platform with Kenobi's fighter and wait for him."

"Yes, my Lord," Koffi said. "I won't fail you."

"Good. If these Storm-troopers fail, your Jedi speed and skill may be our triumph," Vader watched as the Former Jedi Master ran off, and smirked under his mask.

Yes, this may be a good hunt, a good strategy to corner and finally kill Obi-Wan, but this time, even with Koffi succeeding, he would make sure that the Jedi was eliminated, and kill his bribed partner.

Then, the Jedi would be extinct. Forever.


	13. Part I, Chapter 12

**Well, here we go! The action you have waited for!**

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><p><em>THE DARK LORD HUNTS<em>

Obi-Wan couldn't hear anything but the sounds of the Stormtroopers and the breathing of his fellow Jedi.

"Anakin... Betrayed us?" Ma'kis'shaalas said his voice breaking.

Obi-Wan didn't want to say anything, didn't want to say that it was true, that Anakin Skywalker had led an assault on the Temple, and killed hundreds of other Jedi, including the Younglings. He raised his head, staring at each of them in turn, he said, "I'm sorry for unleashing this Evil upon the Galaxy; I should have ended it when..."

He couldn't continue, and said, "I'll continue on, and see if I can lead them away from you all, and get out, the first chance you get. No!" He said when Bultar began to argue. "No, listen to me. Just go; I did this, and this is the only way to sort it. So go!"

The other Jedi nodded, and began to crawl down another shaft off to Obi-Wan's left, leaving just him and Bultar. She stared at him, and said, "You don't have to do this alone."

"I have no choice. Just go, please," Obi-Wan shoved her gently down the shaft, eyes sad. "Please, go."

Bultar looked back at him, and whispered. "It was never your fault Obi-Wan. It was his choice, not yours."

"But I should have kept him on the path," Obi-Wan said sadly. "I was his mentor, his teacher. I should have been there to keep him on the path."

"Obi-Wan..."

"Please, go," Tears had begun to swell in his eyes, and he quickly wiped them away, desperate. "Goodbye Bultar."

Bultar nodded, tears falling, and disappeared into the shadows. Heaving a sigh, Obi-Wan stared down the shaft, and took his ascension cable, tying the end around a pipe, before chucking the rest of it down the shaft.

_Here I go. _

He took the cable into his hands, and slowly descended on it. He could hear the Stormtroopers clambering down the shaft after them. "This way!" He yelled. "Come and get me Anakin!"

"AFTER HIM!" Vader screamed, and the Stormtroopers began to pick up pace, the shaft full of their clattering armour. Panic rose and Obi-Wan jumped down, his hands struggling to hold his weight the further he went down, or continued on.

"HE'S DOWN HERE!"

Blaster fire rained down on his head, and he gasped in surprise, losing his grip, and landing on the base of the shaft with a groan. Rubbing his lower back, he slowly clambered down the shaft, ignoring the pain rising through his injuries on his arm and head.

_I can feel your pain, sense it, my Old Master. Come out, and I'll end it for you._

Obi-Wan shivered at the voice, and the chill rose through his spine, as the darkness descended on his heart again.

_I have to keep going, just keep moving._

_You have failed, my Old Master. Let me end it for you._

Obi-Wan came to a vent, and kicked it off, dropping down into another room, staring around. It was another packaging area, lots of machinery lying around, rusting and unused. Walking quietly around the machines, he kept his breathing to a minimum, trying to keep him presence hidden, and silent.

_I can smell your fear..._

_LEAVE ME ALONE ANAKIN!_

Obi-Wan stared around for some sign of the Troopers, or Vader, but found nothing. He was safe.

For now.

_Right, let's get out of here, and back to Artoo._

He headed for a door, and reached for the door controls, ready to open it, when he sensed them coming closer. Swearing, he rushed towards the shadows, just as the door opened, and a blaster shot rang through the air towards him...

It struck his back, and he fell with a yell.

Everything went black.

ooo

"I don't feel right, leaving him behind."

"Be quiet Sia, let's get out of here. Now," Tsui retorted.

The shaft was dark, and dust had thickened the air, making it harder to breathe.

"She's right," Roblio sounded from the back. "We should go back."

There were the sounds of the group pausing behind Tsui, and he scowled. "Listen to me. If we go back there, we die. If we live, the Order lives; it's because of Kenobi we're in this mess in the first place!"

"Shut up!" Bultar said angrily. "Just...shut up!"

There was silence, and everyone looked at the dark haired Woman, as she began to get angry.

"He could have just left us here to die, he could have just given up, but no. No, he came back. You didn't see him when we parted just now; he blames _himself_ for Anakin's failure when it wasn't his fault! Why are you so cold towards him Tsui Choi? He did everything he could to stop Vader the first time; we need him!"

There was a silence, before Tsui snarled. "We don't need Kenobi. He's a waste of a Man."

"Nonetheless," Jastus retorted. "He is the Last Council Member we know of; he is our Leader now. If you abandon him now, you are not worthy of being a Jedi. I'm going back to help."

"Me too," Bultar said, and they heard her and Jastus shift, crawling back down the shaft the way they came. "Anyone who wants to join can come. Anyone who wants to be a coward and leave him to his Death can go."

"Fine," Tsui snapped, and continued on, staring back at the others. "You coming?"

"We're going back to help," Sia-Lan said quietly. "You can go on Tsui, and watch us fight for our freedom." She disappeared into the dark.

One by one, they left him. Tsui just stared after them, before giving a growl, eyes glittering in the dark. "I don't _need_ any of you."

Now, loneliness rose, and he sat against the wall, crying.

ooo

Obi-Wan groaned on the ground, unable to move his arms due to the wound on his back, but cautiously raised his head to see a group of white men gathered around him, most talking amongst themselves. Seeing he was awake, one grabbed the back of his tunic by the neck, and pulled him up to his knees.

"Nice try Jedi," He retorted, before punching him in the stomach.

Obi-Wan cried out in pain, and fell onto his front again, coughing violently as he did.

"Lord Vader, we have captured the Jedi Kenobi; awaiting further orders."

Obi-Wan looked up at the Stormtrooper that had spoken, and gasped. "Wa...Waxer?"

The Clone trooper stared around, glaring at him. "Don't talk Jedi."

"Waxer. It's me, Obi-Wan. Please, don't do this!"

"I don't give a damn about you anymore Kenobi!" Waxer spat at him, before roughly kicking the injured Jedi in the side. Obi-Wan cried out in pain again, and curled up into a small ball, whimpering slightly. "You're pathetic."

"_What is it?"_ Vader sounded.

"We have him, Lord Vader, Jedi Kenobi."

"_Brilliant. Keep him bound and unarmed; I'll be there shortly."_

"Yes sir." Waxer disconnected, and shouldered his rifle, staring around for any sign of Vader, occasionally looking at Obi-Wan to check that he wasn't trying to escape or get any weapons. "Don't try anything."

"As if I am, when I'm injured," Obi-Wan retorted, glaring at the Clone. "You know me better than that."

Waxer scowled. "I thought I did, otherwise you would never have turned on the Chancellor."

"The Chancellor turned on the Republic! I serve Democracy not enslavement!"

"We won the War thanks to him! We were losing!"

"No, we won!" Obi-Wan shook his head tiredly. "We won because we stopped Grievous. Together."

Waxer scowled, and turned away to his brothers, talking in low voices. Exhaustion rose through Obi-Wan, and he closed his eyes for a moment, desperate for some rest...

"ARGH!"

His eyes shot open immediately, and he gasped as a light sabre was visible in Waxer's chest, lodged deeply into him. Another Trooper fell, arm on the ground, as five Jedi appeared from the shadows, sabres dancing as they went, slicing any enemy down in their path.

A gentle hand touched his shoulder, and he glanced around to see Bultar. "Come on. Let's go, together."

Obi-Wan smiled, and nodded, letting her help him up against the wall, before down the corridor. "We need to help."

"No, you're too injured to help. Even against Storm-Troopers," Bultar said firmly, still helping him down the corridor.

"Please, let me help," Obi-Wan said desperately.

Bultar stared up into his blue-grey eyes, seeing the plea and sadness.

A scream of pain erupted from behind, and she gasped. "Roblio!"

"Right. We're going back. Now," Obi-Wan said firmly, and shifted his weight, heading back while he held onto wall. Bultar appeared next to him, taking her sabre, and igniting it, just as Sia-Lan rushed towards them, three others following.

"We're outnumbered!"

"Right," Obi-Wan said firmly. "Force-jump up into the shaft. Move!"

One by one, they jumped up into the shaft above their heads, and climbed up it. Obi-Wan stared around at Jastus, who indicated he should go, and leapt up, steadily climbing, but painfully, due to his injury.

"KEEP GOING!" Jastus yelled, and blaster shots sounded. "I'm closing the shaft!"

"JASTUS!" Sia-Lan screamed, but it was too late; his hand slammed onto a panel, closing a door beneath Obi-Wan, just as blaster shots ignited beneath their feet.

"No, Jastus!" Obi-Wan gasped.

_No. No no no no no!_

"Keep moving!" Bultar cried from above, and he heard her clambering further up the shaft. Staring back one last time at the door, Obi-Wan slowly climbed after her, Sia-Lan letting him overtake her, before climbing after them, Ma'kis'shaalas bringing up the rear.

Ooo

Vader glared at the body of the Jedi before him, before gazing upwards into the now closed shaft. For once, he really want to murder someone for being too slow in catching up with Kenobi, in fact, he wanted to murder each and every Clone around him for being incompetent and stupid.

Turning, he bore down on one Stormtrooper and snarled. "Where are the thermal scanners?"

"We've got them set up, and ready to go, Lord Vader," The Stormtrooper answered, indicating some gadgets nearby. "And we have probe Droids ready to go after them as well."

"Send them up," Vader ordered. "They must not return without an image of the Jedi; make sure they are followed."

Then he turned to address everyone as a whole. "Secure any exits! Destroy any ship that they have used to get here, and guard any ship of ours. Move!"

The Clones scurried off, heading for different directions of the Mine. Vader turned to look up the shaft again, and then said, "Release the Probes."

A Clone Mechanic nodded, and reached down to a couple of metal balls, flicking them on. Legs sprouted, and lights flashed as the Droids were activated, hovering a few feet in the air. Slowly, they moved past Vader, and up a couple of shafts, scanning for any indication of life at all, while the Sith Lord watched them go.

"Lord Vader, we have the thermal scanners online, and they have located the Jedi," A Trooper said.

Walking briskly towards the Trooper, he stood behind the small portable screen, and peered at the images.

He could see the mass of red, white and yellow, moving up the cold shaft, and wondered which one Kenobi was. "Can you distinguish between them?"

"No sir; it's all the same," The Trooper answered. "But we can keep an eye on them on here; it looks like they're heading to air vents, and then a different control room to get to the South exit."

"Get Troopers to go to the South exit, and I shall head there just now," Vader straightened. "Keep me posted on their location; if they move, tell me immediately. And send for my special units."

"Yes My Lord," The Trooper said, and he turned to speak into his comm. link, as Vader turned to a squad that was waiting for further orders. "Follow me."

The Troopers nodded in unison, and headed in the direction Vader was going, heading down the shaft and towards the Southern sector of the Mine, and not noticing the small astro-droid watching from the shadows, not sensed or scanned because it was not alive at all.

Retreating further into the shadows, Artoo beeped in fear, staring after his old Master, before backing off further and trying to locate the comm. that Obi-Wan had given him in his compartment. Taking it out, he activated it, and began whistling and beeping into it.

Hopefully, the Jedi would answer.

Ooo

Obi-Wan paused when his comm. started beeping, and immediately, the whole group paused, glancing down at his belt as the comm. flashed on and off.

"Should we answer that?" Sia-Lan whispered, her voice sounding through the vent.

Obi-Wan reached down and took the device, lifting it up, and said, "It's my astro-droid, Artoo."

"Answer," Bultar said immediately. "And then get the call over and done with before they can trace it."

Obi-Wan flicked the comm. into life, and said, "Artoo, I read you."

^Master^ The Droid said via beeps and whistles. ^They're heading for the South Exit to cut you off, and some special squad is on their way as well^

"How do you know this?" Obi-Wan asked, trying to keep his voice steady.

^I have over-heard Lord Vader talking about it^

"Right, where-ever you are, get out of there; if Vader finds you, he'll destroy you Artoo... ARTOO!" He said, when a massive squeal sounded through his comm.

Nothing but static answered him, and he said, "Artoo, do you copy? Come in Artoo!"

There was a muffled sound, and then the deep monotone voice sounded. _"I can hear you, my Master."_

There was a shocked silence, until Obi-Wan said coldly. "Where is Artoo?"

"_Oh, he's safe with me. My old friend and I want to catch up. Say hello Artoo!"_

A couple of weak whistles and beeps.

"_Of course, it would be a shame if you were not here. The circle is almost complete, and will be with your Death. Such a shame my Old Master, but you will make a satisfied kill."_

Obi-Wan gritted his teeth. "Let him go."

"_Amazing that you referred to a pathetic Droid as a living thing,"_ Vader heaved a sigh. "_After all, that's all it is."_

"Remember that Droid was once your friend, _Anakin,_" Obi-Wan retorted. "But then again, you either lost or killed your friends- even your own Wife was killed by your hand."

"_Don't bring her into this."_

"Why not? You blame me for her Death; you always blamed others for _your_ mistakes," Obi-Wan argued. "She had free will; she would not have joined the Empire. She believed in Freedom, Democracy. As do I."

"_You should have joined me when you had the chance,"_ Vader said coldly. _"But I might as well offer you another chance; come to me, and join me at my side, Obi-Wan, and we can take down the Emperor, and lead the Empire ourselves. Model it in our perfect image instead of the Emperor's."_

Obi-Wan fell silent, and stared at the others. They're expressions were hard to read, until Bultar said, "What do we do?"

"It's obviously a trick," Obi-Wan said. "To get us to go to him, believing that we can stop the Emperor and return to the Republic; he'll kill us as soon as we get out into the opening."

There was another silence, and the other Jedi nodded in agreement.

"_What is your choice, my Old Friend? We can have the Team back together, fighting alongside one another once more."_

"I would rather die." Obi-Wan shut the comm. off and dropped it to the bottom of the shaft, hearing it smash as it struck. He took some steady breaths, and looked at the others. "Let's keep going."

The other three nodded, and they continued their climb up the shaft.

"If Vader knows we're going south, we need to find another way," Bultar said. "But he might have found out other ways we would use and block our exit."

"We don't really have much of a choice anymore," Obi-Wan said. "We _have_ to find a way out, and fast."

"Especially if Vader is on the hunt," Sia-Lan reminded. "And if he wants your blood, Master Kenobi, he should be climbing up this vent as we speak."

Obi-Wan hadn't thought of that. Glancing back down, he peered into the darkness.

And saw lights, slowly coming closer, and two Droids appeared.

"He's got probe Droids! Quickly, move!" Bultar cried, and the three Jedi leapt up the vents, aided by the Force, trying to out-run the two Droids as they rose faster, closing in on the trio.

With a hiss, Sia-Lan ignited her sabre and dropped down, slashing one in half, and just catching the other. It struggled, moving in a circle around the vent, smacking Sia-Lan against the edges, trying to dislodge her and make fall.

Reaching out with the Force, Obi-Wan tried to stabilize her, while Bultar climbed down to help dislodge the Droid. Once it was free from the Jedi's hands, it glanced up at Obi-Wan, who had his hand extended to keep Sia-Lan in the air, eyes closed tight.

"OBI-WAN!"

The Droid smacked right into Obi-Wan's chest, pushing him down a passage that he had failed to see behind him, which closed behind him. Falling down the chute, Obi-Wan yelled as he tumbled, turning this way and that as the chute descended further, before he landed on something soft, and, with a crack...

His arm broke.

Holding his left arm, Obi-Wan lay in the mud, breathing heavily, and closed his eyes for a moment, before getting to his knees. Getting to his feet, he leaned against the wall, ignoring the bits of mud and debris that fell onto him, only parts of his features appearing through the dust that now lingered on his skin.

Then, he heard it.

Panic rose as the respirator sounded, and then blaster fire as he ran, the bolts hammering into the wall as he ran, desperate to get away, as the Stormtroopers appeared, aiming to injure him, blaster bolts striking where his legs would have been only seconds before.

"Stay back. Let me handle him," Vader sounded harshly, and Obi-Wan heard the Troopers back down, moving away into the corridor. Leaping up to a bridge over the area, Obi-Wan clung tight to the railing, desperate to pull himself up, while Vader laughed below at his feeble attempt to escape.

Rolling onto the Bridge, Obi-Wan lay there, panting, just as Vader said, "How pathetic. The Negotiator, Jedi Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi... Crawling like a dog."

Obi-Wan crawled towards the door, and raised his hand, opening it with the Force, before moving into the corridor, breathing erratic and in pain. Pulling himself up, Obi-Wan held his broken arm and hobbled towards the other door at the end of the corridor, opening that one and closing it as he heard Storm-Troopers approaching.

The smell of fresh air came to his nostrils, and he sighed in relief as the door opened and his ship came into view. Staggering into the rain, he headed towards it.

His feet was whipped from under him, and he fell forwards, landing and skidding on the wet platform. Staring up, he gasped as Koffi appeared, light-sabre ignited in his hand, bearing down on the injured Jedi.

"I have waited for this," Koffi muttered. "For a while. Now, I can finally gain Vader's favour."

He raised his sabre, and swiped at Obi-Wan.


	14. Part I, Chapter 13

**I know it has only been a day since I updated, but the reason is that I won't be able to update for a while, as I'm now starting the second one. Yes, "_Into the Shadows" _is finished- almost, just a couple more paragraphs and it's done. The next one will be published in the same fic, so you don't need to look for it at all. Anyways, here we go!**

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><p><em>VADER'S REVENGE<em>

Obi-Wan rolled back, grabbing his own light-sabre and ignited it, only able to wield with one arm. Watching Koffi carefully, he blinked through the rain, the droplets running down his face from his now soaking hair. Shivering, he watched Koffi pace around him, looking for weak-points, and smirked at his broken arm.

"That's going to cause some trouble, is it not, Master Kenobi?" He jeered, and lunged, his 'sabre clashing with Obi-Wan's.

With his broken arm, Obi-Wan had to rely on his agility to counter Koffi, ducking and dodging the light-sabre as it veered for his sides, arms and legs, aiming to injure, and not kill. However, Obi-Wan knew that Koffi was a skilled Jedi; his agility was what made him deadly as well, and soon, Obi-Wan was struggling to parry back quickly, only at the last second did he manage to stop Koffi, sometimes nearly being disarmed in the process. Breathing heavily, Obi-Wan pushed at Koffi and jumped back, trying to catch a breath before he would need to fight again.

There had to be a way to fix his broken arm!

Obi-Wan gritted his teeth, and quickly scanned his throbbing arm, checking the small break in the bone. It was still in position, and therefore, a simple heal would make the arm as good as new, without any effects after-words. Focusing, Obi-Wan worked the Force into his arm, and sealed the break quickly, making Koffi glare at the dulled light that had appeared through Obi-Wan's sleeve.

"I should have known."

"You would have," Obi-Wan retorted. "Now, it makes the fight even fairer. And also, let's me use _this._"

He grabbed Anakin's sabre from his belt, and ignited the blade, Koffi staring in shock and horror as Obi-Wan moved into Soresu, both blades held ready. Gritting his teeth, Koffi circled again, looking for weak-points once more, and smirked at Obi-Wan's heavy breathing.

"Tired already?" He jeered, taking a threatening step forwards.

Obi-Wan took a step back, trying to keep calm and steady, watching Koffi's every move. "I've been fighting all day, while you cowered behind Vader like the coward you are!"

Koffi glared at Obi-Wan, and snarled. "I have been waiting here for you since you ran from him. Just you took too long."

Obi-Wan snorted. "I've been fighting, like I said."

Koffi smirked. "And that makes it easier for me to defeat you."

His 'sabre flashed suddenly, and Obi-Wan didn't have time to block; his reflexes were dulled by his exhaustion. Yelping as the blade cut his calf, Obi-Wan leapt back, his injured leg crumbling and making him fall, his cloak tangled around his ankles. Feeling the two light-sabres get ripped from his grip, Obi-Wan watched them helplessly as they soared into Koffi's hands, only to be latched onto his belt with a smirk. Staring at the helpless Jedi, Koffi approached him, and said, "Vader wanted me to slow you down, but he didn't say anything about injuring or... Removing limbs."

He kicked Obi-Wan in his injured side, making the Jedi scream in pain, before kicking him again, causing Obi-Wan to move onto his back. Kneeling down, Koffi smirked as the Jedi panted and coughed, wincing in pain.

"Yoda once thought you were destined for something great. Something magnificent," He muttered. "But now... If he saw you, he won't think that anymore. You're just like a Padawan once more Kenobi; weak, pathetic, and a Child."

He punched Obi-Wan's injured calf, and that time, Obi-Wan's nerve snapped.

Koffi found himself choking, Force closing around his neck, and was thrown across the platform, landing heavily, Obi-Wan's two light-sabres flying into their owner's hands. Struggling up, Obi-Wan dulled the pain in his leg, and ran for Koffi, the two blue beams ignited, and slashed at the Rogue Jedi's 'sabre, cutting it in two.

Yelling in fear and surprise, Koffi tried to wrestle one blade from Obi-Wan's grip, but the Jedi Master held on, and rammed his 'sabre hilt against Koffi's skull, before kicking him back.

"Now who's the weak one?" Obi-Wan snapped, anger starting to spiral out of control, as he glared down at Koffi. "You betrayed the others, resulting in Deaths. I should kill you now."

Koffi stared up at him, a gash from Obi-Wan's actions leaking blood over his face, and smirked. "Then you'll be no better than Vader."

Obi-Wan stared at him, eyes boring into his, and stepped back, glaring at Koffi. "Then I'll just let Vader handle you; once we're dead, he'll kill you."

Koffi glared at him, and snapped. "He won't."

"He will; he's a Sith," Obi-Wan retorted, as a rumble of thunder sounded behind him. "And Sith will always kill their own in the future; once you have fulfilled your use, he _will_ be-head you. Simple."

"I'll not give him the chance!" Koffi tackled Obi-Wan, trying to force him to the ground and wrestle a light-sabre from his grip. However, he set his tackle too high, and the Former Jedi was soon impaled on Anakin's blade, right through his neck. Choking on Obi-Wan, Koffi's blood dripped onto Obi-Wan's beige tunic, before he went limp, now dead, on the weakened Jedi. Carefully, Obi-Wan deactivated the two light-sabres, and pushed Koffi off, staring down at his still body, breathing heavily, as he pushed himself back, his leg stinging as the rain touched the burn made from Koffi's sabre.

Taking deep breaths, Obi-Wan whispered. "Rest in peace, Koffi."

A sudden darkness rose around him, and he froze where he lay, before glancing around, and grabbed hold of a rail, trying to pull himself up.

Vader stood at the door, light-sabre out and ignited, and the cortosis blade in his other hand. Staring around the scene, Vader gazed in Obi-Wan's direction, and a laugh appeared as he saw the Jedi struggle to pull himself up, wincing at his leg, before heading towards him.

"Hello Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan glanced around at him, as Vader approached, starting to panic as he struggled to hold his balance on his injured leg. Vader deactivated his light-sabre when he got close, and, without warning, smacked Obi-Wan across the face with his right hand.

Slamming against the ground, Obi-Wan felt both light-sabres leaving his grip, and scrambled back as Vader approached, the cortosis blade in his hand, ready to sink into the Jedi. Grabbing Obi-Wan's hair, Vader slammed him against the railing, and kicked him, the metal boot breaking a couple of Obi-Wan's ribs.

"Your pain is nothing compared to what I went through," Vader snarled, watching as the Jedi tried to crawl away. "When you cut off my limbs, burned me, and made me kill my wife."

"You... Caused those... Yourself!" Obi-Wan managed to gasp, turning onto his back, staring into the empty eyes. "Anakin... Please! Listen to me!"

"No! I'm done with listening to you!" Vader grabbed the front of Obi-Wan's robes, lifting him up. "And Anakin Skywalker is no more."

His fist connected with Obi-Wan's face, slamming the Jedi back down, and almost knocking him out.

"I AM DARTH VADER!"

The Sith grabbed Obi-Wan from behind, and rammed the cortosis blade into the Jedi.

Obi-Wan screamed in pain, Vader smirking at the sound, before he twisted the knife inside Obi-Wan, making him tense and yell more. For a moment, he held Obi-Wan against him, knife in the Jedi's back, listening to his laboured breathing, coming from both individuals, and whispered.

"This is my mercy to you. I could have tortured you further, but no. I'll leave you to die in pain," Vader stared down at his Former Master's chest, watching the breathing become laboured and weaker. "Like you left me. You'll die here, alone, like I was to be."

Shoving Obi-Wan away, he watched the auburn haired Man fall forwards, lying on the ground, and smirked, before reaching down and pulling the cortosis blade out. Seeing the glitter of two light-sabres, Vader summoned them, and stared at his former light-sabre, latching it onto his belt, and then at Obi-Wan's own light-sabre.

"Such a waste," He whispered, feeling the life of the owner on the hilt. "I was once your apprentice, but now. I am the Master. And your Jedi friends cannot stop me now."

"Would you like to put that theory to the test?"

Vader turned, and watched in horror as Bultar and Sia-Lan appeared, running towards him, 'sabres ignited and ready. Igniting his own light-sabre, the crimson light held high, Vader swung both the cortosis blade and his light-sabre at the pair, watching as they ducked the cortosis, and rammed his own crimson 'sabre at the cortosis blade, deactivating it.

Screaming in fury, Vader lunged for the pair, who immediately dived to the sides, and went around behind him, 'sabres held up and ready for an assault. Patience wearing thin, Vader unleashed a Force-push, almost blasting both Jedi out his road, and made them dive to the side. In one movement, he raised them up with the Force, choking the pair, his grip getting tighter each passing minute.

He felt Obi-Wan's 'sabre fly from his belt, and gazed around in shock as the Jedi managed to clamber up, despite his injuries, and rush at him, light-sabre igniting. His former 'sabre also flew to Obi-Wan's hand, ignited, and in one leap, brought both 'sabres down on Vader's last minute ignition, the cortosis blade hilt soon split into two once the white-blue light passed through. Anger rising, Vader snarled.

"I might as well kill you with my own blade than some useless metal knife!"

"Or... Rather I can... End this, like I... Should have done!" Obi-Wan retaliated, and slashed with one blade at Vader's arm, cutting through the leather and revealing the burned skin below. Roaring in rage, Vader tried to hammer on Obi-Wan's defence, but the Jedi Master ducked, ignoring his sore back, and slashed at Vader's helmet.

Half fell away.

Obi-Wan gasped in fear and surprise as Vader's flesh was revealed, the yellow eye gleaming at him from a socket surrounded by blistered and red skin, scarred and still bleeding. The rain hissed as it struck the skin, making steam rise, and Vader watched as Obi-Wan took a step back, staring in disbelief at his revealed half of his face.

"Anakin..." Obi-Wan gasped.

"This is what you did to me," Vader snarled. "Now, you will pay for it! I will make sure that the Emperor sees you die before him!"

He unleashed a repulse, blasting away Bultar and Sia-Lan as they came forwards, a crack sounding as Sia-Lan's neck broke as she connected with the rail, and Obi-Wan flew back against his ship, sliding unconscious to the floor. Walking towards him, Vader grabbed Obi-Wan and tossed him over his shoulder, eying the unconscious Bultar, and dead Sia-Lan with no emotion, before walking back towards the mine.

"Commander," He barked into his comm. link. "Prepare my shuttle, and meet me at platform five. Bring Force binders and chains."

"_Yes Lord Vader."_ Came the answer.

Vader felt Obi-Wan's heart beating through the Jedi's clothing and his own, erratic, but slowing down, and waited, staring at the sky for any sign of his shuttle. This was it.

His triumph.

Vader heard Obi-Wan groan, and cursed the shuttle in his head; he could be coming around any minute now. When the shuttle finally appeared, Vader approached it, the ramp opening, but no trooper coming down to help, and barked.

"Trooper!"

Nothing but silence greeted him.

Dropping Obi-Wan harshly to the ground, Vader smacked the Jedi once more to render him unconscious, and turned to face the shuttle. "TROOPER!"

This time, someone appeared.

Tsui glared, and Artoo beeped angrily, the Jedi's 'sabre ready and waiting. Bultar began to stand, her own 'sabre ignited, and shouted.

"It's over Vader! Surrender!"

Vader scowled, and ignited his own 'sabre, grabbing Obi-Wan and placing it at his neck.

"Move aside Jedi or I _will_ slit his throat and kill him!" He threatened. "He is your Hope; now, make your choice! Him or me!"

Bultar and Tsui paused, before, grudgingly, stepping aside. Smirking, Vader kept Obi-Wan against him, 'sabre humming and entered the ship, using a kick to throw Artoo down the ramp, before closing it. Breathing now slightly erratic, Vader stared down at Obi-Wan, and dragged him to a cell on the ship, shoving him in, before going to the bridge.

"Star Destroyer, come in," He barked. "This is Lord Vader; I demand a medic to meet me on the landing platform, and an armed guard to escort my prisoner to the cells."

Ooo

"What do we do?" Bultar whispered, as the shuttle took off before them.

The trio stood, watching as it soon headed into the sky, towards a massive Cruiser as it appeared in the sky. Tsui sighed, and turned to her and Artoo.

"I am not sure, my dear. Our only hope is if we infiltrate that Star Cruiser and rescue him. But even then, fighting against the odds will not be easy."

Bultar bit her lip, before turning around, staring at Obi-Wan's fighter, and then paused.

"Wait. We have Storm-Trooper armour, yes? Well, I can easily slip it on, and hide you in one of the grenade bags. Artoo could be my mechanical Droid."

"And even then," Tsui said. "When we have got on the ship, they will be heading to Coruscant; we do not have time!"

"We _always_ have time," Bultar argued, helped Tsui up and walking briskily towards the Mine. "Come on Artoo. Let's get this show on the road; if we are going to die, let's go out with a spectacular end!"

Artoo beeped in agreement, and followed her inside, Tsui nodding and rushing in as well.


	15. Part I, Chapter 14

**Well, here we go! A bit more action coming up, and then the final chapter next! Part two will be published soon.**

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><p><em>A DARING RESCUE<em>

Vader waited as his medical Droid carefully fixed the damage done to his suit, checking the life-support and the helmet he wore, replacing the destroyed one with a brand new helmet, and checking the burns that had been exposed. When the Droid murmured that he was done, Vader briskly walked away, heading through the corridors and towards his destination of the detention centre on the Star Destroyer, building up the excitement and glee inside him over his capture of his Former Master.

The Storm-Troopers had all heard of his success, and some expressed applause when Vader had touched down in the hangar, dragging a now conscious Obi-Wan Kenobi in his hands, who was bound and his injuries only partially healed, much to Vader's displeasure. But, as he was told, the prisoner had to be kept alive if the Emperor wanted to see his execution, something that Vader was looking forwards to.

And he was also looking forward to the conversation he and Kenobi would be having in his high-security cell.

Nodding at a Trooper, who had a familiar astr-droid, Vader took the lift down towards the detention centre, smirking under his mask, and when the door opened, he approached the desks, and barked.

"I am here to see my prisoner."

"Yes Lord Vader," The Prison officer answered, standing up and taking a data-card. Vader had made sure that the cell Kenobi was in had a code, changed every hour to prevent any rescue attempts should his comrades appear on the ship. Unfortunately, a master-card was needed as well, just in case the code was forgotten, but Vader didn't care; he had his prize, and now, he was going to have fun with his prisoner, rub it in how Kenobi was too weak to stop him from destroying everything he held dear to him.

Seeing the heavily armoured Storm-Troopers outside the high security cell, Vader paused, and stared in the small window that allowed them to peer into the cell.

Obi-Wan was hanging from the wall, chained tightly in Force binders, head bowed and making his ginger hair flop forwards. His clothing was stained with flecks of blood, with a large patch on his back from where Vader had used the cortosis knife on him. There was also tears in his sleeves, thigh of one side of his breeches, and burns in his tunic from the 'sabre he had used. Nodding at the Prison Officer, Vader was allowed entry.

The door hissed open, and he prowled in, staring at the slump figure with a smirk under his mask, before asking.

"How are you feeling now, my Old Master?"

There was no answer. Apparently, interrogation hadn't worked on him either; despite the screams of pain and horrific methods used, Obi-Wan had not faltered to their demands. Vader had to admit he had some respect for that; his Former Master was still as stubborn as ever, always resistant in the ways of torture.

Vader approached, and raised Obi-Wan's head, cupping his bearded chin. "I asked you a question!"

"And I don't wish to answer," Obi-Wan retorted, eyes glaring into Vader's. "Although, I have this question; when do I receive my death penalty?"

Vader was amazed at how quickly Obi-Wan wanted to die. What had happened to the Man that had tried everything to stay alive? Obi-Wan had always taught him to find any means to fight back, to live, but when it was time for them to die...

They had to die.

Why had the Force made Vader stay his hand?

Releasing Obi-Wan, Vader said. "Your penalty will be decided by the Emperor. Until then, you will be tortured for information."

Obi-Wan shrugged with slight difficulty, and said, "I know nothing."

"Oh, really?" Vader retorted. "Then maybe you don't know where Yoda is hiding?"

When Vader saw a flicker of fear in Obi-Wan's eyes, he knew he had touched a subject that the Jedi Master did not wish to discuss. Which meant that he knew the location of Yoda's current hidey hole, and whether the old toad was still alive. Maybe, once he had forced the location from Obi-Wan's throat, Vader would take a detour to the planet, and capture Yoda as well for the Emperor to handle once more, and together, they could strike both Jedi down within a heart-beat.

"You fear me. That's good," He urged. "Let your anger and hatred consume you Obi-Wan; it'll feel so _good_."

"I'd rather not, thank you," Obi-Wan retorted, clenching his hands tighter.

Vader heaved a sigh at this; once more, Obi-Wan was being too resistant for his own good. Maybe he needed to resort to more... Sensitive matters.

"Humph, very well," Vader said. "Maybe you can tell me who helped you escape the Empire's clutches? It seems that where you were hiding, may be the one place I cannot or will not dare to search."

"Perhaps, perhaps not," Obi-Wan answered. "But if I may, what happened to _you_? How... That suit..."

Vader half-shrugged. "Oh, it was a very painful procedure, Obi-Wan. Very painful, as I had to go through it without morphine- a lot would kill me in that current condition- and soon, I was latched onto a life-support, connected into my chest, and into a suit, where I could not feel anything from the outside ever again." He glared.

"Something I intend to happen to you."

Obi-Wan's Adam's apple shuddered as the Man gulped for a moment, but his face remained calm for a moment. "I don't think I'd like the pleasure."

"Oh, I intend to let you suffer the same way I did, but this time, no-one will help you."

Obi-Wan sighed, and bowed his head again. "I guess I might brace myself for it then."

Vader watched him for a moment, before turning to the door. "I will make sure you are at least fed and kept alive... Until we arrive at Coruscant."

Ooo

Bultar watched Vader disappear into the elevator, before heading towards a vent, Artoo wheeling behind her. The Storm-trooper disguise had worked extremely well; once she landed at the hangar in another Imperical ship, she was greeted with enthusiasm, although her voice was disguised as a male's, and the armour was too tight for her to wear. She had went to a vent, opened her bag, and let Tsui crawl down it, heading off to find where they were holding Obi-Wan, while she led Artoo after Vader, praying to the Force that it would offer her a hand in Obi-Wan's survival.

Walking through the corridors and saluting Officers as she went, Bultar opened her senses, trying to find out where Obi-Wan was.

If she failed, Tsui was her only hope to find the detention centre.

Searching the Force, Bultar searched the whole ship, and her senses soon found two signatures.

One was like darkness on her heart, making her depressed and the other was light, pulsing towards her, weakened by the assault on the owner's body and soul. Stepping into the corridor, she jumped back as Vader walked past her, not recognising the small astro-droid at her side, and towards an elevator. Focusing, Bultar watched his movements, as he pressed a button for the floor, obviously the detention centre; she knew that his first action would be to see Obi-Wan, mock him for his capture.

When the doors closed, she waited a few minutes, and patted Artoo, heading towards the elevator next to the one Vader entered, and pushed the button for the detention centre. Staring down at Artoo, Bultar removed her helmet, and said.

"Keep hidden, until we need you. Alright?"

Artoo whistled, and she stripped the armour off, taking her light-sabre.

When the doors opened, and she ignited her blade, the Storm-Troopers acted too late. Within minutes, they were dead at her feet.

Seeing a vent grate move, Bultar watched Tsui appear, before the pair nodded from opposite sides, and set up the ambush. They had to get this right, or Obi-Wan would die.

And they never left a fellow Jedi behind.

Ooo

When he was done with conversing with Obi-Wan, Vader decided it was time to leave and go to rest. Opening the door, Vader entered into the corridor, seeing the Troopers dead.

Wait, _dead?_

His eyes blinked as he stared at the Prison officer, lying against the wall, with a smoking hole in his chest, and the Storm-Troopers lying sprawled on the ground, also sporting the same injuries as the Prison officer, some with their heads off. Grabbing his own light-sabre, Vader raised his comm. link to his mask, ready to call for support.

When a blue light-sabre spiralled towards him, making him swing his own 'sabre to block the blade, as a Storm-trooper appeared, running towards him, Tsui following behind.

"ARTOO! Get the cell door open!" Tsui yelled at the Droid.

Artoo whistled, before rolling towards Obi-Wan's cell, stopping at the docking and inserting its specialised instrument, turning the dials clock-wise and anti-clock-wise to work out the code. Vader turned to Artoo, desperate to decapitate the Droid at all costs, but Tsui grabbed him from behind, in danger of slashing the Sith's head off, while Bultar stood at the cell door, 'sabre back in hand, held ready in case Vader managed to dislodge Tsui and come for them.

Staring at the small Droid, Bultar prayed that Artoo would hurry and open the cell door, and free the powerful Jedi inside. Taking a deep breath, Bultar turned back to Tsui as he tried to pull the mask off, making Vader roar and buck against him, trying to throw the Jedi off, grabbing his light-sabre and igniting the crimson blade, swinging the blade to try and strike the Jedi Master busy strangling him.

Finally, the door hissed open, and Bultar ran forwards to Obi-Wan, cutting the chains on his ankles first before his wrists. Handing him Anakin's former light-sabre, Bultar nodded, and the pair ran out into the corridor.

"Tsui! Come on!" She screamed, but the Jedi was struggling to disengage from Vader; if he moved too soon, he would be sliced in half. Igniting her own sabre, Bultar ran forwards, clearing Obi-Wan's view.

His own light-sabre was on Vader's belt, not yet placed on a trophy rack. Throwing out his hand, he watched his light-sabre fly from the belt and into his outstretched hand, settling on his slightly blooded skin.

Instant warmth rose through him, and he breathed a sigh of relief at the comforting motion from his light-sabre, and stared up when he heard Bultar scream.

Her arm landed on the ground, the human female falling back against the wall, clutching what was left of her right arm.

"NO!" Obi-Wan ignited both 'sabres, and swiped at Vader's, before disarming him as Tsui's distraction continued to work. Focusing, Obi-Wan released the Force into a massive push, throwing the Sith Lord down the corridor, and quickly grabbed Tsui in a hold, stopping the small Jedi from being crushed by the humongous body, gently setting him on the ground. Running to Bultar, Obi-Wan grabbed some bandages from his small medical bag latched onto his belt, and gently bandaged the stump up, before lifting her onto his shoulders. His leg shook under the weight, but he turned to Tsui, and said.

"Quickest way to Hangar. Now!"

The Jedi nodded, and they ran, Artoo whistling and following behind them, heading towards the end of the corridor. Keeping Bultar on his shoulders, Obi-Wan kept his senses open to see who was coming closer to them, before finally saying to Tsui.

"We need a distraction. Please, go on ahead, and try and get the Storm-Troopers away from the hangar!"

Tsui nodded, and rushed ahead, 'sabre still ignited, and within seconds, Obi-Wan heard alarms blaring, the sounds of heavy feet indicating that Storm-Troopers were heading towards the source of the fight.

_I have to keep moving before Vader wakes, or we're in deep poodoo._

Sorting Bultar's weight on his shoulder, he checked with the Force to know her condition; she was nearing unconsciousness. He had to keep her awake!

"Bultar, tell me what happened in 32BBY," He requested. "Bultar! Please!"

"32... BBY..." Bultar mumbled. "Naboo... Invaded..."

"Good, and tell me what planet you were when you rescued me?" Obi-Wan pleaded. "Please, keep awake!"

"Geo... Geono..."

"That's it," Obi-Wan urged. "Tell me Bultar!"

He was running into the hangar now, Tsui's distraction working, as the corridors were now empty, and stared around for a ship that would hold a medical bay onboard. Seeing a smart Imperial shuttle, Obi-Wan ran forwards, his leg now shaking violently and almost crippling, so much that finally, his leg gave way and he fell, Bultar landing on him and pinning him. Carefully, he pushed her off and grabbed her arms, shuffling towards the shuttle.

"Artoo! Open the ramp! Now!"

Artoo rolled towards the shuttle, and Obi-Wan continued his desperate attempt to get Bultar to the shuttle, pleading with the Force to spare her at all costs, and hoping that a life-support system was on board.

The hangar doors opened, and he felt the Dark Side rise around him, seeing Vader approaching. Panic rose and he carefully pushed Bultar on the ramp, Artoo rolling down and using a hook to latch onto Bultar's collar, pulling her up into the ship. Grabbing his light-sabres, Obi-Wan tried to get onto his good leg, but without the support on the other side, he couldn't fight.

Tsui appeared from a vent, and Force-pushed Vader away, running to the shuttle, and shoving Obi-Wan on with the Force, making him slam onto the floor of the shuttle.

"ARTOO!" Obi-Wan yelled. "Close the ramp! Get the ship _moving_!"

Artoo beeped next to him, and turned the dials, closing the ramp, before hacking into the system, jump-starting the ship and forcing it out the hangar and into space. Taking some deep breaths, Obi-Wan managed to clamber up and hop to the Bridge, Tsui in tow, and sat at the controls, taking over and heading in the direction of clear space.

"Make the jump! NOW!" Obi-Wan yelled.

The Cruiser was firing at them, making them dodge the lasers. With a pull of the lever, they felt the pull of hyperspace.

And disappeared.

And in the Force, Vader let out a scream of rage.

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><p><strong>Don't worry Vader... It's not over...<strong>

**Yet ;)**


	16. Part I, Chapter 15

**Well, here is the last chapter of part I. Thank you all so much for your reviews, and I hope you continue to follow this story until the end :)**

**Enjoy!**

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><p><em>NEW HORIZONS<em>

The lone ship drifted in space, dead, and the inhabitants' unconscious from the events that had happened. Only the small astro-droid on board wandered the corridors, frightened and alone, as it looked in the medical room, the Woman unconscious, dying before it, and the two in the bridge tired from their own injuries, and stressed out completely.

There had to be something it can do!

Artoo whistled desperately, and wheeled towards the comm. centre, connecting to it and sending a secure signal to its new Master. After a few anxious moments, and beeps, a hologram appeared, and Bail stared down at the little Droid.

"_Artoo! Are you alright? Is Obi-Wan okay?" _He asked quickly.

Artoo quickly translated its beeps and whistles into words, and said.

^We have three Jedi survivors; Master Kenobi, and two other Jedi. They are in dire need of medical treatment; one has lost their arm^

"_Alright. Bring them to my Medical station on the outer rim; I'll go on ahead and alert my staff of the situation. What other injuries do they have?"_

Artoo gave the Droid's equivalent of a sigh. ^Master Kenobi has an injured back, leg and side, with his head split open. The Female has lost her arm, and the non-human is merrily exhausted from the experience^

"_Right. Bacta tanks for all three, and a prosthetic replacement,"_ Bail noted this down, and said. _"You know our coordinates Artoo; just get here quickly, before they find you."_

Artoo beeped and disengaged the signal, heading towards the control panel between Obi-Wan and Tsui, carefully unlocking it and inserting a probe in, and intercepting the currents, so that it was in control of the ship. Locking onto the new coordinates, Artoo made the quick jump to hyperspace, secretly praying to itself that the trio would alright, and survive. Glancing around at Obi-Wan, it whistled in horror at the state of his injury to his head; the blooded had solidified on the side of his face, blocking on eye from view, trailing down in streaks on his neck and staining the collar of his beige and tanned tunic. His leg had a burn in it, made by a light-sabre, the skin blackened and horrific.

Just looking at it made Artoo want to crawl away and die.

Artoo focused on the ship, keeping the systems secure and the oxygen for the living stable. It needed to power down soon, its power starting to falter, but Artoo clung on, trying to keep itself awake, just as hyperspace ended and the base appeared.

Turning the ship towards it, Artoo used its last ounce of power to land the ship and lower the ramp, seeing Bail and a couple of medical capsules with him, some Medical Droids hovering behind him. Walking into the ship, Bail checked Bultar in the medical room, and immediately sent her to the bacta, before heading towards the Bridge. Tsui was lifted out by the Medical Droids, while one lingered to help with Obi-Wan.

Bail checked Obi-Wan's pulse, feeling its strong beat, if not slightly slow, and indicated to the Medical Droid to get him to a bacta tank, and supplements into his system; the Jedi looked very weak, and had lost a lot of blood, his skin pale and looking exhausted. Carefully, they helped Obi-Wan out the seat, and half-carried, half-dragged him, down the ramp and to a medical capsule. When he and the other two were stripped and dressed in medical wear, they were placed in a bacta tank each, masks latched on their faces to help them breathe in the liquid.

Staring at Obi-Wan, Bail sighed. "Why didn't you just stay at Tatooine? Why did you have to leave where it was safer?"

Obi-Wan moved slightly in the tank, his wounds now starting to close and heal, revealing nothing but scars behind.

The other male Jedi opened his eyes, and placed a long-fingered hand on the glass. Within seconds, he was out, cleaned, and allowed some rest.

Bail looked at the two Human Jedi, praying to the Maker that Obi-Wan and the Female would wake up, seeing the Female's severed stump solidify, before she and Obi-Wan were finally lifted out, and changed into new clothes by the Droids. Ports were placed on the stump of Bultar's arm, before they added a new metal arm, the wires connected to the ports. They were sent into different rooms, with their own beds, and Bail went to check Obi-Wan, a medical droid double checking the injuries, still placing bandages around the injuries to keep them secure and clean from any chance of infection.

Staring down at the Jedi, Bail heaved a sigh, before getting up and wandering outside into the corridor. Gazing around at a guard, Bail requested.

"Send a message to Breha, Artilles; I need to remain a while longer with our guests."

"Yes your Highness," Artilles wandered off, heading to the communication centre. Bail turned to the other guards, and nodded, heading off to his room. Even though the trio were safe here for a while, Bail needed to move them out and into a secure area, away from the prying eyes of the Empire, and find them a home to recover and regain themselves. He would help as best as possible- supply food and set aside some money to pay for bills, however, this posed risk; if the Empire found out he was spending money on an unknown source, he could be tried for treason and Leia...

Leia would be taken away.

No, he needed to make sure his account was secure. Heaving a sigh, he sat down, and made a valuable call to the Queen of Naboo.

Ooo

He didn't want to open his eyes, but with a sigh, he did so. Staring at the dark ceiling, Obi-Wan willed himself to believe that this was not a dream, and that the events on Kessel truly did happen. Raising a hand and placing it against his face, he closed his eyes and sighed again, before slowly sitting up, staring out the window of the base at the smaller ships as they silently danced across the sky, stars twinkling behind them.

Swinging his legs out from under the covers, Obi-Wan padded towards the door and opened it, heading into the corridor, staring around for some indication of Bultar or Tsui. He hoped that the pair was alright and not too seriously injured by his actions at the Spice Mine.

Raising a bandaged hand, he gently pushed the door open of the apparent mess open, to reveal Tsui and Bultar sitting, talking to one another, both bandaged, possessing scars, but otherwise fine. Bultar's arm was mechanical, and she sometimes stared down at it with sad eyes.

That tore Obi-Wan apart.

The pair sensed him, and looked up, Bultar still smiling, but Tsui unable to as his jaw was stitched and swollen. Standing, Bultar raised her hand in a friendly Jedi greeting.

Unfortunately, this was the hand that was replaced by the prosthetic one.

Obi-Wan turned away, guilt rising, and left, hiding his eyes as he felt tears rise. He did this; he was the cause of Bultar's lost limb, the Death of other Jedi. This was too much for him to handle right now.

Rushing to an observation deck, he curled into a chair, hugging his knees, and wincing at his side.

_How could I have done this? I didn't solve anything!_

He buried his face in his knees, trying his best to not sob into them. So many were dead.

How could he move on?

_Obi-Wan..._

He froze, and raised his head, staring around for the sound of the voice. It was exactly the same as the one that came to his hovel, and the cause of this mess. Standing up, Obi-Wan stared around for the source, only to see a figure sitting in the corner, and tensed.

"You were behind the voices. Weren't you?" He demanded, glaring at the figure.

_Indeed, and I am sorry. I had to try._

"Show yourself!" Obi-Wan demanded.

The figure shifted, and stood up, before emerging from the shadows.

Obi-Wan's jaw dropped.

Standing there, in all his glory, long haired and standing tall and noble, was Qui-Gon Jinn. He smiled at the shocked Jedi before him, and approached Obi-Wan, staring down at him as he stood before him.

_You have grown older, my Former Padawan._

"Qui-Gon," Obi-Wan whispered, but when the ghost raised a hand to clasp Obi-Wan's shoulder, the red-haired Man shrank back, shaking his head, staring at Qui-Gon. "You... You told me he was the Chosen One! And now look what has happened!"

_Obi-Wan... My Padawan..._

"No!" Obi-Wan stepped away. "You lost the right to call me that when you decided to toss me aside!"

Qui-Gon looked hurt, and he sighed. _I see you are not ready to begin your training in the Ways. You are still hurting over what had happened in the past._

Obi-Wan turned away, folding his arms.

_I am sorry Obi-Wan._

Obi-Wan closed his eyes, ignoring the spectral hand that touched his shoulder, before the ghost disappeared. Heaving a shaky breath, he lowered his head, staring at his bandaged hand, and traced a finger over the rough cloth, before deciding that he needed to talk with the other two Jedi.

It was time to discuss with Bail about what to do.

Heading back, Obi-Wan saw that Bail had already beaten him to Bultar and Tsui, chatting to the pair, and both nodded. Their eyes found Obi-Wan, and Bail turned to him with a smile.

"Hello Old Friend," He said, indicating for him to come and sit down. "I have some news."

"News?" Obi-Wan repeated.

"Yes," Bail stared at the trio before him, and said. "I have managed to reach an agreement with the Queen of Naboo; she has allowed me to purchase an abandoned River House a few miles away from Theed, for you to stay for a while and recover. If you wish to remain there, you can, until the Imperials discover you and you must leave. But please, be vigilant, and keep a low profile."

"We will Senator," Tsui answered, nodding. "And thank you. For everything."

Bail nodded, and stood up. "For now, you can stay here and rest until you're a bit better. A transport will arrive in a couple of days for you."

He bowed, before leaving the three Jedi be, the trio silent. Obi-Wan closed his eyes, and clenched his hands on the table, before feeling Bultar's soft hand touch his, and opened them, gazing around at her with a small smile. Tsui was smiling as well, before the three Jedi finished their meal, and ventured for a meditation together.

As he sat with Bultar and Tsui, diving deep into the Force thanks to their combined signatures and joining in the Force, Obi-Wan found himself still looking at an unseen Future, but this time.

He knew he wasn't going to face it alone.

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><p><strong>Now, part II will be up soon, don't worry!<strong>


	17. Part II, Chapter 1

**Okay, here is the second one. Published and ready! Please leave that important review! So, seeing as I didn't put a summary for the first one, here is one for this one :)**

_Summary: A young Female Jedi is on the run from the Empire, being tracked by many Jedi Hunters- including Greedo and Boba Fett himself. For Sarianna, her only hope is to track down the last few Jedi on Naboo, and convince them to help free Kamino- the ones that had bred the Clones that had turned on the Jedi. For Obi-Wan and Sarianna, this journey will ascend them through strangers, friends..._

_And to lovers._

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><p><em>BOOK TWO: FORBIDDEN LOVE<em>

_THE LOST JEDI_

All four Men stood around her, wearing white armour, and holding rifles in their hands, staring down at the hunched figure before them, rags adorning her curved yet slim figure. It was their orders now, whether they liked it or not, to execute any traitor to the Empire; even if they once adored this person with all their hearts, and would die for her at the first chance they got.

Her dirty blonde head was raised, and her eyes opened, revealing a pair of grey irises, full of fear and sadness as she stared around at her friends. She knew what she was; it was obvious from her rapid growth spurts, and her intense training with the Clones that she was no ordinary Near-Human-being, but an experiment, made for Palpatine's game, only to find that she refused to kill any Clones for his games, his so-called _hunt_, and tried to run as fast as she could.

There was one problem with that plan though; she was still finding her skills once again, developing in the Force, and so pain was still a key factor. How had Palpatine managed to do this to her? Why did he have to create a new-life and then make that person suffer?

Her grey eyes found their rifles, and she glared at those instruments of Death. Now, she was going to make her final moves, and take her revenge on the Man that was keeping her imprisoned here. Take her final test, and then she could deem herself ready to defeat the Emperor, and become the most powerful Jedi that had ever existed; her old life was gone, as was her Former Jedi Master, Fay.

A new one was about to begin.

Her light-sabres flew to her belt, and ignited, the green blades striking the first Storm-trooper in the chest. When the others raised their rifles to open fire at her, she threw one 'sabre at a pair, slashing them in half, and watching the torso and legs fall in different areas, before she turned to the remaining one as he scrambled to the door, banging his fists and pleading with those outside to let him out, screaming that she was going to kill him, begging for mercy from her.

His blood splattered against the window.

Ramming her light-sabres into the door, she sliced the locks and hinges, the metal door flying forwards when she kicked it, landing on the ground. Her grey eyes surveyed the corridor before her, teeth gritted and her hands tightening around the light-sabres she carried, their heat and green light her only source to see in this dark corridor. Grey eyes still rooted at the door at the end of the corridor, she quickened her pace, and used the Force to shield her leg, and split the door open when she kicked it off the hinges, glaring around to see countless squads of Storm-troopers and an AT-ST waiting for her.

Their rifles were raised in her direction, and she smirked, twirling her crimson 'sabres, and snarled.

"Bring it on."

She could see everything in slow motion, as she ran towards them, green 'sabres flashing as she parried their shots back, before leaping high into the air. Attaching the two ends of the 'sabre together, she brought the double sided light-sabre down into the ground, unleashing a Force wave, powerful enough to throw the white-claded men into the air, their shots going haywire, those at the back striking the ones in front, and so on. The AT-ST was all that was standing, knocked slightly from the Force wave, and the dual turrets turned in her direction, ready to fire, as she ran towards it.

Aiding her movements with the Force, she skidded on her knees, dividing the 'sabres once again, and throwing them in opposite directions. The 'sabres slashed the thin metal that stabilised supported the legs to the feet, and with a massive clanging noise, the AT-ST fell and crashed on the ground, shouts of pain emitting from inside the chamber. Rushing towards it, she raised a hand, lifting the chamber into the air, the two Imperials inside screaming for mercy, begging for their lives.

They never gave mercy to her brothers and sisters, butchering them in the Temple not a month ago. With the clench of her hand, she squeezed the metal inwards, blanking out the screams of the pair inside, and finally...

Silence came as the metal was soon all that remained.

The Woman dropped the ball, and fell to her knees, taking deep breaths to try and calm herself from what she had done. Never before had she felt so _angry_, the hatred flowing through her body. Fay had told her not to react in such strong ways...

They were one in the same; the same species, the same kin...

She would not fail her!

A sudden shroud of darkness and cold smacked into her kneeling form, and she jumped up, eyes set on the door as it opened. She quivered in fear, watching the hunched cloaked figure appear at the end of the corridor, and backed off as the hunched figure approached her slowly, his gnarled hands appearing under the sleeves.

"Disappointment Jedi," Palpatine sneered.

The Woman shook her head, and whispered. "You..."

"You seek to destroy me," Palpatine jeered, and raised his hands, summoning her light-sabres to his hands. "You are not yet a Jedi, my dear; more like an abomination. Your dead Master had not yet fulfilled your training. Your Childish powers are no match for me! Yet, I do not wish for you to live any longer! Your kind will soon be destroyed!"

She shuddered at that, and edged around the wall, moving to the window, where the stormy weather of Kamino flashed behind her, lighting occasionally forking the sky, and the heavy rain beating against the glass. The Woman knew that, deep down, she was nothing.

Palpatine smirked, and lightning cracked between his fingers.

The Woman watched it, before making her move.

The light-sabre in Palpatine's right hand flew from his grip and landed in hers, and she ran to the window, using a Force push to smash it and jumped out into the heavy rain and down into the depths of the colossal ocean beneath them. Holding her breath, she managed to battle the currents and swim back up, grabbing hold of one of the supports, before climbing back up, battered from the descent.

_Keep going!_

Her eyes found the single cloaked figure standing many feet above her, staring down at the water, before his high-pitched laughter rang through the storm raging above their heads. Resting her forehead against the metal, she took some steady breaths, tired from the duel she had experienced earlier.

There was no point in living anymore.

Her hand released the metal column, and she let the current carry her under.

Ooo

Palpatine smirked down as she fell, before trying to sense the diminish of life in the Force, but found none. Frowning, he stared down at the shoto he held in his other hand, and raised it high in the air, out the window, and dropped it down into the raging waters below. Turning, he sneered at the dead bodies of the pathetic Clones littered before him, and the destroyed AT-ST, smoking and crumbled amongst the bodies.

Lowering his head, he headed towards the main door and out into the corridor, Storm-troopers lining the corridor, and Kaminoans being escorted through them, their long necks bent slightly to make their heads bowed, cuffed. Sneering, Palpatine headed over to the Prime Minister's office, and waved his hand, the door opened and revealing the imprisoned creature before him.

"Lama Su," Palpatine sneered. "I have been honoured with your visit recently."

Lama Su raised his head, and retorted. "We should never have sanctioned the order."

"Maybe back then, but what is done, is done," Palpatine snarled. "The Jedi are dead, bar a trio. My Former "apprentice" had done everything I had commanded him, and with him gone, as well as the Jedi, that makes _me_ the investor. The Cloning continues, and you will continue to build me an army."

"And what of the girl?" Lama Su requested; he had taken her in when Order 66 was initiated, and made sure she was hidden away at all costs. Palpatine had wanted her dead.

When the Emperor remained silent, and his expression darkened, Lama Su snorted. "She has eluded you then."

"Indeed," Palpatine sighed, and turned to Commander Cody. "Take the Prime Minister and the others to the basement, and lock them up. Then, send for my special agents."

"Yes, Emperor," Cody nudged Lama Su in the back, his rifle held ready. "Move."

"What do you plan to gain in all this?" Lama Su cried.

Palpatine smirked after him, and called, "My friend, the girl will lead the Jedi Hunters towards them, and plea for their help to free this planet. If I know that girl, she would want revenge, and who better to help her than three Jedi? Where Vader has failed, these assassins will succeed. And bringing me that girl, alive."

Lama Su spat at him, but the Emperor just cackled as he was led away, before turning to another Clone. "Send for Tarkin and his Men; he is to over-see the efforts here. When the girl arrives, Tarkin will be in charge of her... Care."

The Clone nodded, and rushed off, heading to communicate the Captain, while the Emperor walked out of the room and down the corridor, heading for his shuttle.

There was work still to be done.


	18. Part II, Chapter 2

**Okay, here's an early update for you, just as a spoil. Oh, and I have a new poll just out; I'm thinking of writing another AU, but I always need someone elses opinion before starting to work on it. Anyways, thanks to the reviews I have recently, and I hope I satisfy your thoughts on what _could_ happen in this part of the fic.**

**Enjoy, and please leave that important review!**

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><p><em>THE NEW HOME<em>

_She was drowning, the water gushing into her lungs, as she scrambled for the surface._

_He could only watch as she sank beneath him, the tight wires wrapped around him, restricting his arms, and causing pain to his chest, as his armour pushed into his tunic and therefore into his skin. Struggling, he felt the electric current surge through him as Tarkin activated the control, making him yell and fall to his knees. Panting, he raised his head, tears falling as he watched her drown before him._

"_SARA!" He screamed, and struggled to his feet, only for Tarkin to ram his foot into his back again, and making him fall forwards. "SARA!"_

"_She's gone Kenobi!" He jeered. "And there is nothing more you can do to save her!"_

_Raising his head, he stared into the cold eyes of Captain Tarkin, his light-sabre latched to his belt. He could easily raise his hand, summon it and smite him down. Already, his anger was pulsing through his body, the whispers of revenge, and the hatred making his blood boil. _

"_LEAVE HER ALONE!" He bellowed at Tarkin._

_He just smirked, and shocked him again, watching the Jedi writhe before him in pain, and leaned down, whispering. "She can't swim. You know that, don't you?"_

_He lowered his head, and rested it against the floor, praying that help was on the way for him yet again. But this time, he knew he had to fight his way out of here._

_Glaring up at Tarkin, he opened a hand and summoned not his own 'sabre, but the crimson one that Sara used, slashing the electric cable off, and jumped to his feet. Bearing down on Tarkin, as he backed off, reaching for a weapon to use- any weapon- he sneered, and said._

"_THIS IS FOR SARA!"_

_Tarkin's screams sounded through his ears, the Darki Side rising through his very core, whispering in his ear, corrupting his heart and mind, his very soul being possessed by the temptation._

_He was no longer a Jedi._

_Obi-Wan Kenobi had turned, turned to the Dark Side of the Force._

_He was now a Sith._

Obi-Wan Kenobi jumped awake, sweating violently, and breathing heavily, as though he had run a marathon. Raising his bandaged right hand, he wiped the beads away on his forehead, before checking the time on the chrono next to his bed.

It was still early in the morning, but he no longer felt tired, as his sudden jump awake and the adrenaline coursing through his veins was enough. Swinging his legs out from under the covers, he leaned onto his elbows, rubbing his face free of sweat before reaching over and lifting his light-sabre, tying it onto the band of his sleep-trousers. Standing up, he vacated his room and into the main corridor of the ship.

They were still a few hours away from Naboo, heading towards their new home; an abandoned River House where the Jedi could stay and recover, before planning their next moves once again. Obi-Wan wished to return to Tatooine, but he had seen a massive problem from the results of Kessel.

His face, along with those of Bultar Swan, Tsui Choi, and Artoo were broadcasted throughout the Galaxy, with warnings that they were dangerous Jedi, with hefty awards for their locations and bodies.

Out of all of them, Obi-Wan had the largest bounty; he was over five hundred million credits.

Heaving a sigh, he knew that, despite the fact that Tatooine was a safe haven for wanted individuals to hide away; the scum that lived there would turn him over for the money without a second thought. For Bounty Hunters, money like that would treat them for a life-time.

Forgetting what he was wanting to do for a moment, Obi-Wan paused and racked his brain for the information, sighed, and continued towards the bridge, activating the door and stepping in the room to see the pilots still working away, checking the systems, Artoo beeping away in a corner. The little astro-droid whistled happily when it saw Obi-Wan, rolling towards him and nudging him gently, making the Jedi smile and pat the dome head.

"Hello Artoo," He whispered. "Charged up?"

Artoo beeped happily and whistled, turning to roll towards the pilots, stopping between their chairs, turning its dome towards Obi-Wan and beeping. Approaching the pair, Obi-Wan asked.

"When do we arrive?"

Captain Archilles turned in his seat and smiled at the Jedi, before answering. "We should be arriving within an hour, Master Jedi. The Queen has requested us to go straight to the House; it is ready for our arrival, and stocked as best as possible for your needs."

"Thank you," Obi-Wan said. "Have Bultar and Tsui woken up yet?"

"We felt that we should let the three of you sleep in and rest," The other pilot answered. "You three have been through enough."

Obi-Wan nodded his thanks, and wandered out of the bridge, heading off to the kitchen to find some food and water to have. Chewing his lip, the Jedi entered the small kitchen, and raided the fridge for something he could digest effectively (the medical food on Bail's base was _horrific_) before hearing the kitchen door open again. Gazing up, he smiled as Bultar entered the kitchen, rubbing her left eye, and yawned.

"Are we there yet?" She asked.

Obi-Wan chuckled, and said, "According to our pilots, we should be arriving within the hour."

Bultar smiled, and sat down, continuing to rub sleep from her eyes. "Tsui is still snoring away I guess?"

"Yes he was," Another voice sounded, and said-Jedi entered, grumbling. "Why can't you Young Ones ever walk _quietly_?"

"I never noticed that we were walking loudly," Obi-Wan answered.

"Never mind. I'm up now," Tsui smiled at Bultar, before the pair engaged in a chat, which Obi-Wan listened and added to as he cooked something for the five living organisms on the ship. Artoo appeared and sat next to Bultar, who patted his head, whistling and beeping in time with their laughter.

Obi-Wan immediately forgot his nightmare, and the trio sat down to eat, leaving some for the pilots as well.

Ooo

When the planet of Naboo finally appeared, and the shuttle headed down through the atmosphere and the clouds, Obi-Wan rested his forehead against the window in another room, staring down at the City of Theed as it crossed beneath them, his eyes drifting to the massive building, where Padme's body rested inside. Closing his eyes, he felt his memories crawl up of her funeral, where he watched from the shadows as her body was taken down the main road towards the building, the sides of the street lined with citizens clothed in black, carrying lanterns. The depression that had assaulted him through the Force from each person was over-whelming; she was a much loved person.

When she finally disappeared from sight, Obi-Wan left the corner he had watched from, and returned to the ship, ready to embark on his mission to bring Luke Skywalker to Tatooine, and to his new family.

_Time to move on._

Obi-Wan carefully opened his eyes, and turned away, heading to his room to get his things- what was left of them- and took the small bag to the door, watching Bultar doing the same, and Tsui bicker with Artoo as he accidentally bumped into the elderly Jedi. The two humans rolled their eyes, and Obi-Wan carefully set Tsui right, patted Artoo on the head and sent the Droid off, the blue and white machine giving irritated whistles as it rolled away.

When the ship finally touched down, and the ramp was lowered, Obi-Wan lifted his case, as did the other Jedi and headed down the ramp, Archilles and the other pilot powering down the ship and joining the trio as they surveyed the House that Bail had requested and bought from the Queen, stocked and ready for the Jedi to recover and live in. Obi-Wan had never seen a House as beautiful before.

There were columns that lined the walls, with balconies overlooking the garden, fresh fruit and flowers growing, white flowers opening, ready to bloom. A gravel path surrounded a fountain, the water trickling down into the basin, and down into a small stone cannel, heading out to the lake in the distance. A beach was visible through the gaps in the trees, with clear water glistening under the sun, which made Bultar smile even wider, but the trio headed towards the House, and stepped into the front door.

There was an open garden inside, with another fountain, and arches bordering the garden, revealing wooden doors with keys inside, and alarm systems on the outside.

"Just recently installed," Archilles explained to the three. "So, if you need to leave, you can set the alarm to your own quarters, and the door is sealed. No entry bar for the Jedi that stays there."

"Good security system then," Tsui grunted, moving towards one door.

"Yes," Archilles said. "The Queen wasn't sure how many of you there was, so she made sure to find a House near the lake with at least twenty rooms."

"That's generous, but as you can see, there are only three of us," Bultar pointed out.

"But maybe when we are able to explore," Obi-Wan answered. "And go off-world, we might end up teaching."

"And have more Jedi as a result," Bultar agreed.

"Oh stop it!" Tsui glared at the pair, standing outside his apparent room. "Look at the three of us! We're injured, shamed and hiding away! The Public have been told that we are evil, witches, and we are to be feared!"

"Not everyone fears the Jedi," Obi-Wan argued.

"And you!" Tsui glared at Obi-Wan. "YOU caused this whole situation in the first place! I am not following any orders you give us, traitor!"

The last word stung into Obi-Wan, as Tsui turned and entered his quarters, slamming the door behind him. Feeling faint, Obi-Wan reached for something to hold on, and Bultar quickly steadied him, and whispered. "It must be your head injury."

"Yeah," Obi-Wan muttered, as the two Alderaanians went off to unload things from the ship into the kitchen. "I... Need to lie down."

"Do you need help?" Bultar asked in worry.

"No... No, Artoo and I will be alright," Obi-Wan croaked, entering his quarters. Artoo beeped behind him, as the Jedi stared around at his quarters, heart hammering in his chest. He didn't have time to explore his new home right now; Tsui's words had cut right into him, and his head was spinning, making him queasy and unsteady on his feet. Dropping his case, Obi-Wan staggered to his bedroom door, and pushed it open, collapsing on the bed before him.

Lying face-down, Obi-Wan kept his eyes closed, sudden anger rising inside him over what Tsui had said to him. Gritting his teeth, Obi-Wan shakily turned onto his back, staring at the ceiling with a glare.

_No... Stop it. He's just wounded!_

The voice of reason sounded in his head, and he took steady breaths, trying to calm himself down.

The last thing he wanted was his vision coming true, and he ended up turning to the Dark Side.


	19. Part II, Chapter 3

**Thank you for all your wonderful reviews! And I hope you all continue to follow this story. Don't worry, they will meet one another soon!**

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><p><em>SARIANNA LEAVES KAMINO<em>

Her lungs were filling with water, as she scrambled for some way to return to the surface, panic rising through her entire body, making her blood cold and her heart race firmly in her chest. Her hands grabbed nothing but water as she struggled, kicking aimlessly to try and return to the needed air above the surface. Eye blinking, and mouth gaping, she screamed silently in both the Force and voice, pleading for some way to return upwards, and flee from the dreaded nightmare as it engulfed around her.

The light was disappearing, becoming darkened as the depth increased, her ears popping violently as the pressure increased as well, her vision darkening even as her eyes remained wide open. Her whole body was struggling to supply her organs with the much needed oxygen she required, her lungs full of water.

A sudden vision came to her eyes, as though light shone brighter above her head, and she could see someone...

A red haired Man with a beard, and gentle blue-grey eyes that seemed to comfort her, make her feel... Safe, despite the circumstances she was in. His hand reached towards her, and she raised her own hand, almost touching the scarred one that was offered towards her, and for a moment, she thought she had touched skin, and not water itself. Her eyes connected with his, and she mouthed.

"Help."

His hand touched her wrist, and she felt not his skin, but longer fingers, pale and cold. Her eyes found a Kamonian, their large eyes staring at her in a critical manner, before he pulled her onto his steed, and headed to the surface, the Jedi Rogue held tightly against him as the magnificent manta-ray beast broke through the surface, the rain now the only source of water that touched her skin, the storm now dying away, the only source of sun breaking through the clouds and warming her skin as best as possible. Resting against the thin-boned chest, she stared up into the eyes of Laturi, the Prime Minister's nephew, his teenage features staring down at her.

"I'm getting you off world," He whispered, heading towards a platform at the City. "Don't worry Sarianna."

Sara lowered her head back against his chest, hearing the gentle beat of his heart against her ear through the thin bones of the alien. Her whole body shook with the cold, the rain still beating gently against her face, so much so that Laturi pulled the hood of the cloak over her head to keep her even more sheltered than before. Fingering her light-sabre, Sara gazed towards the platform the young Kamonian was taking her to, seeing a ship awaiting their arrival.

When the tall alien stood with her in his arms, he jumped from the beast and landed on the platform, gently setting her down, before carefully ushering her into the ship. "Get the engines ready. I will join you shortly."

"Laturi," Sara said. "Please. Let's leave now."

"Just... I need to make sure my Uncle is alright," Laturi said, pushing her carefully towards the ship. "I have my personal Droid on board, with instructions to get you away as fast and far as possible. Is your light-sabre still on your belt?"

"Yes," Sara said, double checking. "But I lost my shoto."

"Don't worry," Laturi pulled the smaller hilt from his sleeve, and made to hand it to her. "I found it sinking in the water before I spotted you get washed away from the current. Now, go, before the Emperor—"

The platform doors slid open, and a squad of Storm-troopers rushed in, rifles ready and raised to fire. Laturi pulled his own blaster from his belt, and aimed at the Storm-troopers, yelling for Sarianna to run, continuously firing at the Clones- the very individuals he had helped to create. To him, Laturi thought these identical Humans were his brothers, the ones he had spent time laughing and joking with every time they were in the mess, or he met them in the corridor, stopping for a friendly talk, asking how their training was going.

Now though, these so-called friends were trying to kill him.

A pair of light-sabres ignited behind him, and Sara jumped before Laturi, parrying the blaster shots back with the green blades, rushing towards them and jumping in the middle. With a few swipes and slashes, the squad soon fell to the ground in pieces.

Laturi remained in his frozen position, pistol raised, and hand shaking as he stared at the Jedi before him, as she walked past towards the ship.

"We need to go," Sara said, turning to him. "Please Laturi. Come with me."

Finally lowering the blaster, Laturi shook his head. "I can't; I'll be hunted down, forced into slavery..."

"Not if we find a way to contact any surviving Jedi," Sara argued firmly. "Please, I need you to come with me!"

Laturi sighed, and ran a long-fingered hand over his forehead, before nodding. "I'll come with you."

Sara smiled, and turned to walk up the ramp of the ship, when a blaster shot sounded, and she was pushed to the ground, a cry of pain sounding through the storm that raged above her head. Staring around, she saw a one-armed Clone fall forwards as his blood-loss took over, his pistol clattering to the ground as well. Grabbing Laturi as he fell, Sara held her friend, a glistening blood patch appearing on the front of the tall alien's chest, his breathing quick and shallow, as he tried to keep the oxygen circling through his system, staring up at Sara.

"Go," He managed to say. "I... Can hear... More coming..."

True to his words, Sara could hear the heavy feet of the oncoming enemy as they approached, and made to stand, ready to defend Laturi at all costs. She felt his hand grab her arm, and he quickly hoisted onto his feet, shoving her into the ship, and yelling.

"GO!"

She screamed, making to jump back out, but Laturi fired at the controls for the ramp, which closed on her, the prepared Droid already starting the engines on board and heading into the sky. The platform door blasted open, more Storm-troopers entering into the rainy environment, the ship already soaring into the storm-clouds, and disappearing into the darkness that had formed over their heads. Feeling their strong hands grab his arms, Laturi closed his eyes as he felt the front of the rifle get placed on his forehead.

A shot fired through the air, and Laturi fell to the ground, dead, the Storm-troopers leaving the body. One turned to the others, and barked.

"Contact Captain Tarkin to the situation! Now, let's move!"

The squad marched back in, while one sent Tarkin a message, updating him of the situation that had occurred.

Everything was transpiring as the Emperor had foreseen.

Ooo

Sara sobbed on the floor of the ship, ignoring the hum of the engines, and the violent beating the ship was now taking from the fighters that had obviously engaged them once they left the planet and entered the strong-hold of Kamino, the massive cruisers trying to block it from any method of escape from the system.

Hearing the small droid beep in panic from the bridge, Sara raised her head, cheeks tear-stained, and got up, staggering towards the flight deck, and entering, seeing the small white and black droid beeping in fear as it tried to steer a ship obviously too large and complex for it. Grabbing the steering, Sara pulled the ship out of line of fire, moving amongst the cruisers as they closed in on her, the TIE fighters continuously firing on the sleek ship as it moved in spins and flips, trying to evade them. Gritting her teeth, Sara could see the clear space ahead, and cried.

"Put any coordinates in! Ones that _won't_ involve me almost flying into a sun again!" She screamed at the Droid. It beeped in annoyance, and she answered with. "NABOO THEN!"

She didn't know why she screamed for that system; it felt as though she needed to go there. The warning sounds erupted in her ears, and she clenched the steering handles tighter as the ship rocked violently.

The Droid began putting the coordinates in, as she spun the ship to try and divert any more fire heading from the TIE fighter towards her ship, and braced herself for the final impact that would soon knock out her engines, and leave her at their mercy...

The small Droid beeped in excitement, and Sara gazed down to see the coordinates set and ready for the jump. Grabbing the lever, she pulled it down, and saw the familiar dancing lights erupt in the windows, as the ship dived into the jump, leaving the TIE fighters behind.

And the Emperor as he watched on from one cruiser, a cruel smile on his twisted face, as he realised his plan was falling into place.

Soon, the Jedi would fall into his trap once again, but instead of killing them himself, he would make them succumb to their worst fears.

And turn them to the Dark Side.


	20. Part II, Chapter 4

**Okay, here's the next update. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, as it was a bit hard to write. And please remember to leave that important review!**

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><p><em>THE CALL OF THE JEDI<em>

Obi-Wan woke late the next day, lying on his side, staring at the wall opposite, before heaving a sigh and turning onto his back. Blinking for a few moments at the ceiling, Obi-Wan slowly got up, and stretched, the sun light filtering through the blinds that covered his window, before heading to the door of his room.

With a yelp, he collided with Artoo, the droid beeping into life, and giving some irritated whistles and beeps at the Jedi's clumsiness. Rolling his eyes, Obi-Wan apologized quickly to the blue and white astro-droid, and flicked the lights on, before opening the door into the rest of the apartment he had now called his own. Artoo beeped and followed, his head turning this way and that, before stopping at the corner of the apartment, watching as Obi-Wan searched his fridge for anything he could eat.

Taking some meat to fry and bread, he began to cook, watching as Artoo scanned some things in the room, before rolling towards the door, whistling at Obi-Wan to see if he can go off and explore. Quickly dashing towards the door, Obi-Wan let Artoo go, the droid moving slowly down the corridor with loud whistles and beeps, before returning to cooking his brunch for the day.

A knock on his door distracted him from the cooking, and he called for them to enter. Bultar opened the door (wearing her pyjamas as well) and smiled, seeing that he was also just out of bed.

"That was the best sleep I've had in a while," She admitted.

"Indeed. For once, I've over-slept," Obi-Wan sighed. "I have never done that before."

"I know," Bultar sat at the wooden table, stifling a yawn. "I might need to return to my bed though; I'm _exhausted._"

Obi-Wan chuckled, and fixed his breakfast, before asking. "Would you like something to eat?"

"I've already had something," Bultar answered. "But, I was just about to ask you; can you help with my... Adjustment to my new arm?"

Obi-Wan raised his head from his meal, sadness in his eyes. "I don't know if I can Bultar; it's my fault that you lost your arm."

"Never blame yourself," Bultar said firmly. "Master, please. Promise me that you won't blame yourself for my loss."

Obi-Wan was sure he could never make a promise along those lines, because he _did_ feel that it was his fault. Heaving a sigh, he nodded, and Bultar smiled in satisfaction, yawning before rubbing her eyes, the pair continuing the next few minutes in silence, before Obi-Wan broke it by saying.

"I need to leave."

Bultar jumped up, staring at him with wide eyes. "What?"

"I need to do something," Obi-Wan answered. "At the earliest possible moment, I must leave."

"What, exactly, are you planning to do?" Bultar demanded. She froze, and then glared. "Are you abandoning us to return to that dust ball?"

"Listen to me," Obi-Wan said. "There is a reason why I need to return."

"What reason can be so great that you would leave us behind?" Bultar questioned him, raising a dark eyebrow. "Please, tell me what is going on."

Obi-Wan ran a hand over his eyes, rubbing the sleep out, before bowing his head, thinking everything through in his mind. Closing his eyes, Obi-Wan tried to picture the story he needed to tell, and how he needed to tell it to Bultar; he trusted her, but he wasn't sure how she would react to this secret.

"I'm sorry Bultar," He finally said. "I can't tell you. This secret is not to be taken lightly."

Bultar sighed, before saying, "Then tell me the truth, as un-lightly as possible."

Obi-Wan placed his hands over his face, taking a deep breath, before raising his head.

"I'll tell you, but please do not interrupt me. Any questions you wish to ask me, please, ask at the end."

"I promise," Bultar vowed, and nodded.

Obi-Wan ran a hand through his hair, before saying to Bultar. "The Hope of the Jedi, Galaxy and Republic is on Tatooine at this moment, where his Father was born. A young baby boy, called Luke."

Bultar nodded.

"I promised to look out for him, a promise I made to Yoda and Senator Organa," Obi-Wan said shakily. "A disgraced Jedi, looking after the Hope of the galaxy, to train him when he is old enough to face up to the Empire."

"So, you've been hiding out there since Order 66?" Bultar asked.

"Since I defeated Vader on Mustafar," Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. "Now, can I continue, or any more questions?"

Bultar closed her mouth and nodded.

"I took him to Tatooine to live with his Family, hoping that they would protect him at all costs. In honesty, they were a _little_ over-protective," Obi-Wan sighed. "They told me to stay away, but I could not break my promise, and watched from afar, making sure that Luke was cared for and looked after. Many Jedi had foreseen his birth and destiny, and so much was riding on this young Boy; in a way, I wished there was some way _I_ could take the burden, but it was impossible. Luke was the one to defeat the Empire, and bring it to their knees, like the Prophecy had said about his Father. Now, I understand that his Father- even though he is the son of the Force- may not be the Chosen One like Yoda had seen."

Bultar's mouth fell open, and Obi-Wan decided to let her speak.

"You mean that... The Boy- Luke- is the son of Anakin Skywalker?" She asked.

"Yes. And Padme Amidala," Obi-Wan said. "The prophecy claimed that a Boy would bring the Empire and Sith crumbling to their knees, whether it be by influencing Anakin to return to the light or if Luke destroyed the Emperor. There are _two_ individuals that the prophecy referred to."

Bultar watched as Obi-Wan gazed down at his hands, clasped on the table, and reached over to squeeze his uninjured one.

"And you watched over him... Took on all this guilt to train him," She whispered. "Make him see his destiny."

"I wish I could take it all back Bultar. I really do," Obi-Wan squeezed her hand as well. "But I can't. The past influences the Future, as Yoda always said. Old sins cast long shadows."

"You don't need to do this alone," Bultar said firmly. "When we find more Jedi- once we're recovered- you can bring Luke here, and we can train him. I _won't_ let you take this burden on your own Obi-Wan Kenobi; I will help you train Luke Skywalker until my last breath."

Obi-Wan smiled at her sadly. "I won't let you take this burden on Bultar; I won't let you take a responsibility that will end up failing."

"How will you know it will fail?" Bultar wondered. "You don't know Luke's personality enough to establish whether he _will_ fail."

Obi-Wan sighed, and ran a hand through his hair once more. "I can only hope he won't, for the sake of everyone."

"This is a massive burden on both you and that baby," Bultar said firmly. "Don't do this alone Obi-Wan."

She stood up, and sighed.

"I am going to go and get ready, and hit the training areas to strengthen my arm," She announced. "I suggest that you get ready, meditate, and think everything through Master, before making a rash decision that might end up being regretted later on."

Obi-Wan blinked, watching her as she turned on her heel and walked out of the apartment, before sighing. He closed his eyes, and let the Force fill him for a moment, praying that it would help protect Luke back home on Tatooine, and guide any surviving Jedi to them on Naboo.

Ooo

_Naboo... Naboo..._

Garen Muln opened his eyes immediately, and stared up at the ceiling of the caves of Ilum, the crystals sparkling around him as the daylight began to creep into his home. Cracking his back and getting up, Garen stretched, yawned, and stared once around his home, before heading to his hidden fighter.

He had enough rations to last him a few more days, maybe enough to get him to Naboo.

Garen knew the voice of the person that had called out for him- he had been friends with them since they were Younglings- and now, he was going to remeet him.

"Oi! Ferus! Get up you lazy bantha!" He yelled at the dark lump that lay a few feet away, back in the caves and on the dirty floor. The dark haired boy grumbled and sat up, one side of his hair flat and the other sticking up in all directions, dirt smudged on his face and clothing, his pale eyes almost cold.

"I guess the ghostly voice that called Naboo was not a figment of my imagination?" Ferus drawled, dusting himself down.

"Nope nope," Garen said, popping the 'p' in the word. "Come on. Let's get moving."

"Garen, we're safe here," Ferus argued. "What's the point in leaving and going to an obvious trap?"

"Because I recognise the individual that called for us," Garen retorted. "And it's _Master_, young Olin."

Ferus rolled his eyes and began to help pack some items away, before saying, "Who?"

"I think it was Obi-Wan," Garen answered. "Not so sure."

Ferus stopped and looked up. "Obi-Wan is alive?"

"Why so surprise? He's hard to kill off," Garen muttered as he jumped into the ship, the seat only big enough for the fully grown man. "Get in."

Ferus scoffed. "Hey, I'm no kid! I'm not, and I repeat, _not_ sitting on your lap again!"

"Jeez, want to come and investigate or not?" Garen demanded. "Come on!"

Ferus grumbled, before clambering into the fighter.

"If Anakin saw me now... He'd be kriffing himself laughing as we speak."

"Fortunately," Garen said, closing the top with difficulty. "Naboo isn't far... And Anakin isn't around to see you now, but I can't _wait_ to tell him if he's survived Order 66!"

He yelped as Ferus elbowed him hard.

"Hey! That hurts you know!"

"You deserve it," Ferus muttered under his breath, and pressed himself against the side of the small space so Garen could pilot effectively. "And I doubt we have enough air to reach Naboo."

"Then hold your breath," Garen muttered, taking the ship further into the sky and through the atmosphere. "To save some air."

Ferus rolled his eyes, as Garen entered the co-ordinates into the ship, and went into hyperspace.

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><p><strong>Yes, Garen and Ferus are the main comedy pair in the series :)<strong>


	21. Part II, Chapter 5

**Okay, here's another update! Now, these are going to be a bit fewer I'm afraid :(**

**But anyway, here we go, and please remember to leave the important review!**

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><p>THE JEDI HUNTERS<p>

_This is the last time I do a job for the rich people. Or any person in honesty._

Tipping his hat forwards, the Duro continued with the chewing of his toothpick, arms folded over his chest, and staring down at his boots, closing his eyes as though to take a nap, but in honesty, he was still alert and ready for action should he need to. Staring at his bony fingers, the Duro coughed slightly, before adjusting his gadgets strapped to his wrist, before heaving a massive sigh and staring up at the door.

Where was his partner?

Once more, he had signed up to a partnership, and once again, he felt it was a mistake to do so; he was more a solo hunter, and only rarely worked in groups with other Bounty Hunters. But this time, he needed a partner in order to complete this mission that the Emperor himself had asked him to participate on. And deals like this only came once in a life-time, so he wasn't going to pass this opportunity up, especially with the money being enough for him to retire on, and not work for the rest of his life. He could live in a life full of luxury, with a high-classed apartment, and his own ship once again.

Yawning, the Duro spat the tooth-pick out and watched it fall to the ground, before shifting; placing his boots on the table he sat behind, still staring at the door into the bar. If this partner was not going to show up in the next five minutes, he was leaving them behind and going on this mission alone, regardless of the Emperor's wishes. When the bar-man came over and pestered him once again to see what he was going to be drinking, did the Duro finally make a move.

He shot the creature in the head, watching it fall to the ground dead.

The Duro returned his pistol back into its holster, and finally stood up, tired of waiting for his partner to turn up, and made to move to the door.

When it opened before him.

Standing before him, slightly shorter than he expected, but wearing green Mandalorian, a jet pack strapped to his back, and had numerous pistols and thermal detonators on his belt. Raising his head, the Mando folded his arms, and said.

"Leaving so soon Bane?"

Cad Bane smirked, and said, "Boba Fett. You seem to be a bit short for a Mandalorian."

"Yet Fourteen years old and I'm already a threat," Came a determined and sinister answer. "Whereas you've not had a job in, what, a year?"

"You've made your point Fett," Bane retorted, and led the Boy to his table, kicking the body of the Bar-man out his way. "Now, let's discuss what to do."

"Well, we're tracking Jedi, so we might as well head over to where she was last seen, and pray that the Woman can lead us to the others," Boba said. "What's so difficult about that?"

"As you have just pointed out, she is difficult to track as she keeps moving and never lingers on for much longer."

"Yet, I have managed to get some... Information in the form of spies and false promises," Boba said smugly. "And I ain't going to tell you in case you try and kill me once I divulged the information."

Bane wanted to smack the Boy, but he had his helmet on, and so the action would obviously result in a broken hand. Tracing his bony fingers over his chin, Bane watched Boba carefully, before lowering his hand and said, "We have to work together anyways, so why should I kill you?"

"To get the Jedi yourself, and therefore the money, but I assure you that if you try to fight the Jedi yourself, you _will_ get killed as a result," Boba answered. "Whereas if you have a Mandalorian with armour that can resist light-sabres, then you have a chance at defeating the Jedi."

"I see we have reached a brick wall," Bane sighed heavily. "Alright. I can supply the gadgets for imprisonment and you can supply the skills to take one down should they get in the way."

"And the ship," Boba answered. "_Slave I_ is still going strong."

"Very good. That would be the perfect ship to use," Bane concluded. "Now then, let's stock up and then we can head over. We also need to formulate a plan to capture each Jedi; if it's more than three, we will have a problem trying to catch them once they are in a group. Two I can manage; three is a crowd."

Boba chuckled. "I have the perfect weapon to do so. A little invention of mine, but once more, separation is the problem; with their numbers too few, they would not want to leave one another behind."

"So we threaten them from each side, and make them move away from one another," Bane said. "And if they're injured as well, they can be easy pickings. The stronger ones will leave the weakened Jedi to sort out the problem."

"And a distracted Jedi is a dead Jedi," Boba concluded. "So we have our strategy. Now let's get going Bane, and get us some wealth. Fifty percent each."

_There goes my luxury apartment..._

"Fifty? I prefer sixty-five, thank you very much," Bane retorted.

"Bane, how many do you think one Jedi is worth?" Boba asked.

Bane froze, unsure how to answer that question, but he didn't have to wait long, as Boba himself continued.

"One Jedi is worth fifty million Credits. Two Jedi are worth a hundred, three even more," He leaned back in his seat. "In other words, we would be _very_ wealthy Men."

Bane realised the point; more Jedi, more money.

"Very well, fifty each," Bane held out his bony hand, which Boba shook. "Let's head off and meet with the others."

"Others? I thought it was just the two of us?" Boba demanded. "But..."

"We're getting the money Fett," Bane smirked. "Sing, Bossk and the others won't see a sliver of it."

Boba smirked. "I like that plan Bane. A double crossing Duro you are."

Bane chuckled. "This will be a legendary partnership, Boba Fett. One that will make history."

Ooo

Obi-Wan sighed as he left his meditation, and ran a hand through his forehead. Once more, he had failed to contact Qui-Gon to begin learning the Ways of the Whills, but with his recent actions, he maybe was seen as unready to be taught the most complex technique of the Force; coming back from the dead as a spirit, and walking amongst the living once again.

He never knew when a technique like that could be handy! Particularly if he had to teach Luke from beyond the land of the Living.

He heaved a sigh and got up, leaving the room and headed to his apartment, deciding that a walk in the peaceful garden would probably ease his trouble soul, and cleanse the darkness from inside him. Obi-Wan paced towards the door that led out into the gardens, and breathed in the scented air that lingered from the flowers, making him more relaxed and a smile creep onto his face. Tracing his fingers over some red petals, Obi-Wan winced at the rough material that still occupied his right hand, but enjoyed the tingle of the soft silk petals of a red flower, the entire bush casting a fiery complexion for the part of the garden.

Closing his eyes, he sat down at the stone bench near a fountain, and opened himself up to the Force, letting the energy calm him and fill him with peace and happiness...

When he heard a ship approaching, he came out of the relaxing presence abruptly and jumped to his feet, staring up at the sky with wide eyes, before calling for Bultar and Tsui. When the pair rushed towards him, followed by the two Alderaanians, they took their weapons and waited as the ship landed, tensed and ready.

Only when the top of the ship opened, and two familiar Jedi flopped out onto the ground, did Obi-Wan relax, shock replacing the threatening look he had on his face.

"Garen? Ferus?" He cried in disbelief. "How...?"

Garen stood up with a smile, and brushed the front of his robes down, while Ferus scowled at the other Jedi. "Ferus hitched a ride with me, we went to Ilum, and then we heard there was Jedi here on Naboo... So here we are!"

"_I_ hitched a ride with _you_?" Ferus squealed highly. "Excuse me?"

"So, where can we bunk?" Garen continued happily.

Obi-Wan refrained from laughing due to the seriousness of the situation, and shook his head, trying to not smile. When Garen and Ferus walked with them back into the safe-house, he couldn't help but keep smiling.

At least there was more Jedi around, and that they were friends of his. It made everything much easier.


	22. Part II, Chapter 6

**Well, here we go! The moment we've all been waiting for!**

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><p><em>SARIANNA MEETS OBI-WAN<em>

Obi-Wan sat on the wall, staring at the horizon, finding peace in the planet once more. He loved this place; it was one of his favourite planet locations, so full of peace and goodness, light and perfect. To him, this was a second home, and if he was ever forced to leave Tatooine, Naboo would be the planet he would reside on, listening to the living Force engulf the animals, his heart beating as one with them.

For Obi-Wan, _this_ felt like home.

Running his hand through his hair, he closed his eyes and breathed in the fresh air, before heaving a relaxed sigh, deciding to lie on the grass and bathe in the sun for a while. Carefully propping himself down and closing his eyes, he let the Force engulf him, soothing his inner turmoil and relaxing his tense muscles; he had started training again.

His morning was filled with meditation with the other Jedi- which ended up quite humorous as Garen and Ferus bickered about what was better ways to meditate- and then decided to go for a jog to strengthen his injured leg, but accompanied by Bultar to make sure he didn't run into any difficulty. She didn't have to worry, as the Jedi Master only went for a while before deciding to return home when his muscles became cramp, and the pair had lunch, before he went off to have some alone time to rest his injuries and collect his thoughts.

Luke came to his mind, and Obi-Wan opened his eyes, staring at the clouds as they drifted above him. He needed to return to Tatooine, and he knew Bultar had blurted out to the other Jedi over his plan to return to "dust ball", but this time not to hide.

To collect, and teach.

The Force had been dropping him a lot of hints recently that it was maybe time, with the Jedi they had, to take on at least a couple of students. And if he read it correctly, he knew that there was a few more Jedi out there and might have answered his call, as Garen had said.

From what Obi-Wan had gathered from Garen and Ferus, there was at least five other Jedi out there, in hiding, that were probably on their way over to Naboo. The only Jedi that Obi-Wan wasn't sure who would join or not was Yoda.

He had still not heard from his old Mentor, and debated whether to go over to Dagobah and see the Master. Obi-Wan sighed at the conversation he knew that would occur; why did he leave Tatooine? Why was he not patient? He was too much like Qui-Gon, blah blah. Still, he needed Yoda's help to build the Order back up; he was the leader, and with his permission, they could maybe start teaching again, and, if possible, rebuild the Jedi Order right under Vader and Sidious' noses.

Of course, this was all wishful thinking; there were an awful lot of "ifs" and "buts", so he couldn't be too sure if there would be a backfire or something if he did try. If the Order gained numbers, the Empire would be attracted to them immediately, and then bloodshed would rise.

And he couldn't bare with the loss again.

A sudden vibration in the Force made him jump up.

He stared around, scanning areas with the Force to see if anything threatening would emerge or was hidden in the bushes; now that Vader knew he lived and had survived his attack, the Sith was desperate to find any indication of him, and locate him as soon as possible. He knew him; once he found Obi-Wan, his presence would only need to be sparked and he was located by Formerly Anakin Skywalker. They knew each other too well.

But this wasn't a dark presence, a threat to his safety...

This was a plea for help.

Flicking his comm. link on, Obi-Wan spoke. "Garen, you there?"

"_Roger! What's up bud?"_

"I just picked something up in the Force; it looks like we might have a visitor, and I need your brawn should it be a threat. If it's the Imperials, we need to get ready for a fight, so just tell the others to keep alert."

"_Alright, just coming over Kenobi. Stay put!"_

They disconnected, and Obi-Wan got to his feet, staring around, tense and sabre now in hand. His eyes were now fixed on the sky, where the pulse in the Force was now coming from, and he prepared himself for what could occur. He felt a hand touch his shoulder and gazed around to see Garen, who nodded.

The pair rushed into the trees.

ooo

"Okay, is it just me, or are we coming out of hyperspace a little, you know, _too fast_?" Sara demanded of her droid. "What's wrong with the engines?"

The astro-droid turned to her and gave a few irritated beeps and whistles that plainly said it didn't know, and didn't like the tone of her voice. Heaving a sigh, the Jedi turned back to the control panel and flicked some switches, trying to slow the ship down or stabilize the serious rocking that was battling with their vessel this very minute, before she finally let panic and fear rise through her.

"This is it," She whispered, as a violent beeping blared through the speakers. "Okay, we need to prepare for a crash landing my friend. Go and buckle yourself up; we're probably going to strike Naboo's surface and chances of our survival are going to be slim."

The droid beeped lowly, and locked itself in the compartment, shivering slightly while Sara buckled herself in as tight as possible. Grabbing hold of the steering bars, Sara reached over and flicked some switches, only to result in a massive warning noise to shrill through her ears. The ship was old, and the system was now starting to fail; trust her to pick a ship that would probably fall to pieces in space!

Her breathing hitched up a notch, and she closed her eyes, opening herself up to the Force, and pleading for a safe landing, as finally, the dreaded lurch of hyperspace dissipated, and she saw the massive blue-green orb appear before her, coming closer and closer to her ship (or was it the other way around? She didn't care at that moment), until she finally entered the atmosphere and was pulled down through the clouds in a ball of fire. The ship's systems sparked and cackled, the small lights blinking out and the one shrill warning blare soon become many, deafening her, and making her fight the urge to cover her ears.

The white clouds disappeared and the blue sky of the planet appeared instead, making her gape at the beauty of the planet; emerald hills adorned the horizon, purple mountains and glistening lakes, surrounded by white sandy beaches. She could see Theed in the distance, magnificent and vibrant, contrasting with the blue sky, the sandy buildings sparkling in the sun that penetrated the clouds.

A spark erupted before her, and she cried out as it struck her skin, making her absorb her dangerous situation once more. Shaking her head, she flicked a switch to activate the landing gear, the ship struggling to do so, and braced herself for the impact that would probably result in her death if she was unfortunate.

"We're going to crash in... A swamp."

_Perfect._

Sara gritted her teeth, and closed her eyes, bracing herself for the impact. A violent jerk made her squeal, and then a loud grinding noise as something- she suspected a wing- broke off, before the front of the ship buckled before her as it collided with something. Breathing shakily, she opened her eyes, and carefully gazed up to see a massive branch just above her head, the glass shattered as a result, before she carefully moved away from the massive piece of wood. Staring around, she shakily headed to her astro-droid's compartment and knocked it gently, the sliding door opening.

In one move, the droid fell forwards as though it had fainted.

Suppressing a sigh, Sara carefully helped the droid up, and dusted its top, a few jittery whistles emitting from its inside, before carefully staggering out of her ship and into the grounds, staring around for any sign of a Jedi near her location.

When she heard a twig snap, she took her light-sabre, and readied it for an attack, just as a tall blonde haired Man appeared, green light-sabre ignited. Her eyes widened at the size of him! He was over six feet tall!

"Who are you, stranger?" The Man demanded.

"Who wants to know?" Sara demanded.

"I asked first!" The Man snarled, taking a step forwards. "Answer me!"

Sara ignited her light-sabres, and snarled back. "Or what?"

Another ignition sound came from behind, and she glanced back to see a red-haired Man in his later thirties, wielding a white-blue coloured light-sabre, with vibrant blue-grey eyes.

"Now my dear," He said in an accented voice. "We don't want to hurt you. Tell us."

Sara kept staring at him; he was the Man she had a vision of!

Before she could answer, her dual 'sabres were ripped from her grip and she was in a head-lock, the massive blonde haired man holding her tightly.

"GAREN! Stop it!" The red-haired Man yelled.

Sara felt her airway constrict, and her struggles began to deplete. The massive blonde haired Man (Garen?) released her and she fell to the ground, panting, and her vision blurred, but she could see the Man appear above her, concern on his face.

"I might have strangled her a bit too hard, but I bet she's a spy," Garen sounded.

"I don't think so," The Man kept his eyes on her. "Just hold on, okay? What's your name?"

"Sara," She managed to say. "I'm Sara."

The Man smiled. "I'm Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan Kenobi."


	23. Part II, Chapter 7

**I'm so sorry for the lack of updates recently, but things have gotten busy. I PROMISE to try and make another update for you this week to make up for it, but here we go. We're to move off the Jedi just now (Even they need a break lol) and moving onto the villain and future Hero and Grand Master of the Jedi Order!**

**Please leave your all important review!**

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><p><em>PALPATINE'S PLOT<em>

Beru Lars gazed up at the ceiling of her and Owen's bedroom, thinking over what had occurred recently. Owen snored next to her, sleeping easily regardless of the news that had engulfed the small Holo that they had in the workshop, bearing the face of the very Man that had delivered them the bundle of joy.

_These individuals are exceedingly dangerous and must not be approached. Anyone that knows information about their whereabouts..._

She bit her lip, and gazed around at Owen for the thousandth time that night. The Man had acted cold towards the news message, threatening that if Obi-Wan appeared near here once again, he would report the Man and his address to the Empire. Beru had reacted in shock towards his outburst, and scolded him, as the baby in their presence calmed the angry man immediately.

Beru got up out of bed and headed into the main courtyard and towards the new baby room that was recently built for Luke. Hearing the soft cooing sound emitting from the room, Beru smiled and entered, going towards the basket-like crib that Owen had managed to construct for the infant child.

_Luke is the Hope of the Galaxy; protect him with your lives._

Owen had made a snide remark about that, and threatened Obi-Wan to keep away.

A gurgle alerted her to the fact that Luke was awake, obviously sensing her presence through his Force abilities. The blonde-haired baby was waving his small hands towards her, blinking and smiling slightly up at his auntie, as she reached down and lifted him into her arms.

"There now Luke. Nothing will ever harm you," She whispered, balancing the baby in her arms, watching as he stared up at her in curiosity. Beru held the baby to her, gently rubbing his back and went to sit back in the rocking chair that stood in the corner of the room and sat down, rocking the chair as she stared down at the infant in her arms, yawning widely before falling asleep.

Beru closed her own eyes, hoping that there was some way to keep Luke safer than he was now. But all she could think of was that they kept Luke's obviously developing talents a secret from everyone, even their friends, and his future friends.

_I don't want to lose him too._

Luke whimpered at her feelings, and Beru soothed him with some comforting words, and rubbed his back, until she heard his deep breathing, indicating that the baby had fallen asleep.

She had a feeling though that her dreams of a free Republic, and the destruction of the Empire, was resting on the shoulders of the baby in her arms, and if she was one of those individuals that helped him achieve that- with or without Owen's approval- Beru Lars would gladly give up her life for him.

Ooo

The Emperor stared down at his hands, observing the wrinkles with a critical eye at the damage that Mace Windu had caused him not a few weeks ago. He gave a growl, and stood up, pacing his window that overlooked Coruscant, before turning and staring out the window itself.

The ruined Jedi Temple stood in the distance, the smoke from the remaining fires still filtering into the air and darkening the sky above its roof. So many were now lying dead in the corridors, bodies slumped over the railings, statues in ruins...

A sight he was hungry for.

A cruel smile played over his lips, and he refrained from laughing, but the urge was now getting too strong for him to control himself. He now didn't care that the guards outside the room would think he was insane; it was already too late for that. It was obvious that his recent actions in the Senate had finally installed the subject that the Holo had recently broadcasted about him into light.

"_Former Chancellor- Now Emperor- Palpatine pleads insanity."_

Of course, a few days later, the building was burned to the ground, and the Editor was found dead in his Home, and his family were now arrested and in the prisons that Palpatine was setting up throughout the Galaxy- with Lord Vader leading the hunts as well.

He sighed heavily; yet he felt... Incomplete.

There was something Palpatine was missing, and he wasn't sure what was making him feel this way! He was over-joyed when Padme was buried, and Vader's offspring presumed dead as well in her womb. If any offspring of Anakin- particularly a Son- were alive, then Palpatine's perfect vision of a Galaxy full of Sith, and the Dark Side of the Force reigning supreme, would crumble. As long as a Son of Skywalker was alive, Palpatine was doomed from the very beginning.

And now that he knew Obi-Wan Kenobi was back out into the open, if a Son of Skywalker was around, he knew the Jedi would train the Boy into a magnificent Jedi Knight, something that he didn't want to happen! And if the Son of Skywalker and Kenobi would be a formidable team; Skywalker would be able to tackle him, Palpatine, and Kenobi could fight Vader. Both were equals, but Kenobi's experience and cunning always won him the fights.

Then he had a plan.

Palpatine frowned, and returned to his desk, flicking some switches and activating his secretary's own system.

"_Yes Emperor?"_ The Droid sounded.

"I want you to examine the ship that Obi-Wan Kenobi used to travel to Kessel, and see if you can find out his last travel area," Palpatine demanded. "Search it from top to bottom; tear it apart for all I care. Just find out where he has been hiding before travelling to Kessel."

"_Yes, Emperor Palpatine,"_ The Droid sounded scared. _"I'll... I'll go and get some men on the job."_

"And be quick about it," Palpatine retorted. "I don't have all day."

"_Yes Emperor," _The Droid instantly disconnected, and Palpatine leaned back.

Should he contact Vader and prepare him for the journey to eliminate the threat? Or will he leave this and make the matter private, and to his professional agents only? But he didn't know how strong the bond between the Child and Kenobi would be.

This was all wishful thinking though, and he mustn't see that far into the future yet. He needed to see if there was even an offspring of Anakin Skywalker, but if there was, he'd take great pleasure in killing it.

His body ached, reminding him of his injuries, and relaxed his tensed muscles quickly before it got too much for him. His duel with Yoda had taken a lot out of him; the alien had been more difficult to defeat than he originally thought. The age of Yoda had made him under-estimate his ability.

Palpatine clenched his fists, and returned to his present plan; using Sarianna to locate the remainder of the Jedi. If she led his Bounty Hunters to them, he would succeed in eliminating the Jedi Order completely, and then the Republic would have been destroyed. Even with the Senate containing some members that opposed his new rules and propositions, he would be able to form the Galaxy into his perfect image.

A beep alerted him to an important meeting he had scheduled that afternoon, and he growled in irritation. Why could Mas Amedda sort these problems out himself?

Getting to his feet, Palpatine headed out and into the corridor, his guards immediately coming to stand at his shoulders, and towards the debate chamber.

_One thing at a time; sort the Senate out... Then the Jedi once they have been discovered._

And once he had found the last of the Jedi and eliminated them, if Skywalker had a Son, he would eliminate him with his own hands.


	24. Part II, Chapter 8

**As promised, another update for you all! I hope you like this one :)**

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><p><em>TRACING BACKWARDS<em>

Obi-Wan stared at the sleeping Jedi Woman, a frown etched upon his face, and a bit annoyed at what Garen had done. It was completely un-necessary to have strangled the poor girl! And Garen should have known that Jedi thought first before they acted towards a suspiscious individual, something that Obi-Wan knew was Garen's weak point as a Jedi; he was a bit impulsive, and always acted in a way to guarantee survival in the quickest way possible.

Compared to Obi-Wan, Garen was almost the complete opposite of the calmer, patient Jedi, bar their obvious similarities. The only differences between their appearances was that Garen was blonde, and at least a foot taller than Obi-Wan. Heaving a sigh, the Jedi Master turned and stared at the other that had congregated in the corridor with him, watching the other Jedi with distrust.

"Am I missing something here?" Obi-Wan asked.

"How do we know she even _is_ a Jedi?" Bultar asked. "I don't remember any Jedi with her name."

"Maybe there were so many in the Order that it seemed possible she had been overlooked," Ferus suggested. "Although, it is hard to not have realised she's part-human."

"Nevertheless," Tsui said. "If she is a Jedi, then we have enough to start teaching again."

"No we don't," Garen argued, shaking his head. "There's, what, five of us? How the kriff are we going to be able to teach students with our present numbers, and without Yoda?"

"Yoda didn't build the Order to crash without him," Obi-Wan cut in. "His teachings run through our skills, and so does his wisdom. I think we can at least take a couple of students each."

_But I'm not teaching. I don't to face the burden of another failure; when I train a student that ends up betraying once again._

His heart ached once more over Anakin. And the confusion as to why the now-Sith was staying on Coruscant, and not even hunting the last of the Jedi; they had heard about it on the Holo that morning, that Vader was remaining on Coruscant to over-see some military operations. According to the holo, the manufacture of the Clones were being looked over by Captain Tarkin, an old military commander that Obi-Wan had served alongside once in the Clone Wars.

"Naboo to Obi-Wan!"

Garen's hand waved before Obi-Wan's eyes and he jumped from his daydreaming.

"I'm sorry, what were we talking about?" Obi-Wan admitted, staring at the others.

"Should we teach?" Bultar asked. "Or wait?"

"Well," Obi-Wan said, running a hand over his beard. "Wait for now, before we think about anything else. And I do know about one student that we can start teaching; he's young just now, but when he's a bit older, maybe he can be one of the first of a New Order."

"This is Luke, right?" Bultar asked. "Just to confirm?"

"Yes," Obi-Wan said. "The first of a New Order of Jedi."

"Luke?" Garen repeated. "Who's Luke?"

Bultar and Obi-Wan traded looks; none of the other Jedi knew about the infant, and who his Father was as well.

Maybe it was best to keep it that way for now.

"Luke is an orphaned baby I met on Tatooine," Obi-Wan carefully explained. "He has a high concentration of midi-chlorians, and I envisioned that he might be the Hope to free the Galaxy; he may be a magnificent Jedi Knight when older."

"When did you plan to tell us this?" Tsui demanded.

Obi-Wan sighed. "It is very secret; Yoda and I decided to keep the whole affair quiet."

"So, Yoda is alive!" Ferus said happily. "Where is he?"

Obi-Wan dreaded this; he didn't want to disturb the Elder at all costs, until he felt it was ready to approach the Jedi and ask for his help. It would be good to see Yoda again, but the Jedi may not want to leave the planet, and prefer to continue with their plan that they had discussed on Naboo.

No, the time wasn't right. Yet.

"I can't tell you yet," Obi-Wan said apologetically. "We're not ready for him to come back; we need time to heal and regain ourselves. Then, and only then, will Yoda come to _us._"

"I guess, with you as the present Council Member, we have to listen," Garen said, and smirked. "The Famous General Kenobi, commanding once again."

He nudged Obi-Wan, and the red-haired rolled his eyes. "Listen Garen, if you tease me again, I'll break your nose."

"If you can reach," Garen sniggered, and Obi-Wan glared.

"Why I outta-!"

Artoo suddenly rolled up, and beeped loudly, drowning out- miraculously- the insult that Obi-Wan was about to utter, turning its domed head towards Obi-Wan.

"What is it Artoo?" Obi-Wan asked, staring down at him.

Artoo beeped quickly, and whistled. ^Bail said its urgent that you talk to him immediately!^

Obi-Wan blinked, and turned to the others. "If she wakes, contact me."

"Understood," Ferus said. "And I'll make sure that Garen doesn't choke her again."

"As I said, I thought she was a threat," Garen retorted.

"Oh sure," Ferus rolled his eyes, as Obi-Wan headed off. "You would kick me in your sleep when dreaming; I have bruises lining my side because of you Muln."

"Oh shut up," Garen retorted, and turned to watch the Woman sleeping, arms folded. "Prat."

"Scruffy looking nerfherder," Ferus muttered back, before he was tackled to the ground, and forced to run as Garen chased him down the corridor.

"WHO'S SCRUFFY LOOKING?"

ooo

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes as he heard Ferus and Garen bicker once more, and strolled towards the communications room, Artoo in tow, and entered, sitting down at the panel and activating it. Bail's image flickered into life, and the Senator looked frantic, worry and fear in his features, and his hands were clenching and unclenching.

"Bail?" Obi-Wan asked in worry. "What's wrong?"

Bail gazed at Obi-Wan. _"They're onto you. I mean, I heard that the Emperor is looking at the ship you had taken to Kessel- trashed by the Imperials of course- to find out where you've been hiding. They've nearly made a break-through."_

Obi-Wan froze at that. "You are kidding me, right?"

_"I am not,"_ Bail tried to calm himself down. "_I can stall them for a while, but please, for the life of the Force, get ready to go to Tatooine at the first chance you get! I think the Emperor is looking for a reason why you were hiding on Tatooine- though he doesn't know that's the location yet- and I believe he might be looking for evidence that Anakin had offspring."_

_Kriff. _

Obi-Wan clenched his hands, staring up at Bail's image. "Can't you stall them?"

_"I am being watched too closely, but I can attempt sabotage,"_ Bail frowned. _"I can stall them for only a while. Master Kenobi, if they find out from eyewitnesses that you were taking a baby out into the Dunes, and then onwards to the Lars homestead, Palpatine will put two and two together; he'll come after Luke."_

Obi-Wan didn't know what to say; he had to get Luke out of there!

_"I can stall, as I said, but not for long; the Emperor is more concerned with the Kamino uprising just now than anything else,"_ Bail said. _"Once that's done, he'll be awaiting his agents' report on the search of your ship."_

_"_Destroy the ship Bail," Obi-Wan requested. "Don't sabotage. Just destroy the ship. Please; if Palpatine finds Luke, he _will_ kill him. If Anakin had any offspring, Palpatine would see them as a threat to his rule- particularly a son."

_"I'll get my men onto it immediately,"_ Bail said. _"I'll make sure it's destroyed tonight at the latest."_

"Thank you Bail," Obi-Wan said. "May the Force be with you."

Bail nodded, and disconnected, leaving Obi-Wan in a fit of worry and fear. How did Palpatine manage to conclude that Anakin could possibly have offspring? Was it a guess?

Nevertheless, he needed to leave for Tatooine soon, and get the Lars to hand Luke to him immediately; he could explain that the Empire was coming for him (it was true enough!) and that Luke's life was in danger. Obi-Wan turned to Artoo, who turned its head towards him and beeped in the same worry as he was in.

^What do we do?^

"For now, trust that Bail will destroy the ship," Obi-Wan said. "I just hope he's not too late."


	25. Part II, Chapter 9

**Well, here's another update. And thanks to my friend, Darth Feanor, for suggesting the ending of the chapter for me; it has been really helpful :)**

**Please remember that all important review!**

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><p><em>A FUTURE PREDICTION<em>

Sarianna woke to find herself in unfamiliar surroundings, and blinked for a few seconds, before sitting up. Staring around, she tried to remember what had happened to make her end up lying in a medical bay, and sighed heavily. Sara knew she should have expected the aggression towards her; she was a stranger, and to an endangered Order, that made her a threat.

Trying her best to sit up, Sara carefully placed her feet down, and padded towards the door, opening it and emerging into a white-stoned corridor. The floor was lined with a long rug, heading to more rooms visible on her left, and to the right, there was a balcony, opened into the house via a few arches. A glorious sunset was basking the balcony, the emerald leaves and trees sparkling as though they were on fire, the water lit up by the gold and ruby rays that struck it.

Sara couldn't help but stare in awe, wrapping her arms around herself, and headed out onto the balcony, staring at the water and the sunset's beauty nearly made her cry. Why had she not seen this before? Why did she never take time to appreciate these views when she had the chance; before the Clone Wars, before the declaration of Order 66.

And the Purge.

Her body quaked with fear at the thought of the Purge, and the Emperor; he could be hunting her right now! She had to warn them what he was planning at Kamino; if he succeeded, then everything would be ever worse for the remainder of the Jedi. The new technology that was being formed at Kamino- and the Clones- would make the Empire even more powerful than ever before.

Standing on the balcony, Sara closed her eyes and let a gentle wind comb through her hair, before heaving a sigh.

"Nice to see you on your feet."

Sara jumped, and turned around, seeing the familiar red-haired Jedi lying on an elongated couch, a holo-book in his hand. She nodded, and said. "Thank you, for rescuing me from that... That..."

"Garen is always over-protective," He said, closing the book with one hand. "Always has been, always will be."

Sara couldn't help but nod, but found herself asking. "Who are you?"

The red-haired smiled, and said. "Obi-Wan Kenobi. And you?"

"Sarianna. But everyone calls me Sara," Came the answer.

"Well, Sara," Obi-Wan remained lying on the couch. "It's nice to meet you. And you have already met Garen, a fellow Jedi." His eyes surveyed her critically. "When did you last eat?"

"A few days ago," Sara admitted. "But I'm okay. Seriously."

Obi-Wan chuckled. "I guess you have inherited the defiance from the Jedi teachings. But if you are ever hungry, there is plenty of food here."

Sara smiled, and found herself looking at his bandages; one adorned his right hand- no doubt his 'sabre hand- his leg had a bandage, and a faint scar was visible under his fringe, circling over his eyebrow and down past his eye. It made her complaints over injuries child-ish, to see this fully grown Man still recovering from injuries that he no doubt had acquired when Order sixty-six was initiated.

Obi-Wan had returned to his book, continuing to read with interest in his eyes.

"May I ask you something?" Sara finally spoke out.

"Of course," Obi-Wan looked up, and then said. "Fire away."

"How did you acquire those injuries?" Sara blurted out. "If you don't mind me asking; if you do, you don't need to answer."

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. "I would mind if I didn't answer, but I might as well."

He sighed. "I was attacked by Darth Vader on Kessel, and another Dark Jedi. They injured me until I was nearly crippled."

"Wait, you're the Jedi that Darth Vader has been after since the Empire was installed?" Sara gasped. "I heard everything on Kamino; they say that they are hunting you, even raised your bounty by over a hundred million credits."

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. "Well, they must be desperate."

"They have your face plastered over the holo; in papers, and everything."

Obi-Wan sighed heavily. "I expected as much; Vader will go anything to get his hands on me. The Sith obviously see me as a threat to their operations."

"You did defeat Darth Maul," Sara pointed out. "To the Emperor and Vader, you are their biggest threat."

Obi-Wan straightened and sat up on the couch. "They can't find me at all here; we're heavily masked and hidden outside in the country. And if we need supplies, we have individuals- some of our allies- that help us get what we need; they head out into Theed."

"How do you trust me with this?" Sara asked.

"Because I sense you're not one of the Dark Side," Obi-Wan answered. "You are pure- a Jedi. And I only sense the minute fear, and hatred."

"So, I'm not so pure?" Sara said.

"Not yet, but you will be soon," Obi-Wan stood and stretched, wincing at something, and reached back to sort something behind him. "I apologize, but I have a wound on my back too."

Sara smiled slightly. "I'd better let you rest then, Master Kenobi, and I'll go and hunt the kitchen down."

"I could take you there?" Obi-Wan offered. "Or my Droid, Artoo?"

"It's okay, I think I can find it," Sara answered. "I can sense you're tired, and need your rest. I can go and see Artoo if I need any help."

Obi-Wan suddenly chuckled. "If you need to find him, he'll be coming in three... Two... One..."

A white-blue astro-droid appeared, beeping highly and whistling happily, heading towards Obi-Wan, who patted his head affectionately. Sara couldn't help but smile at the pair; it was obvious that the Jedi and Droid shared a close bond to one another, and no doubt the little Droid had helped the Jedi through the incident on Kessel, and staying with his Master as he lay, injured and at the Dark Lord's mercy...

She shuddered, and when Artoo began leading her to the kitchen, Sara couldn't believe how a Man like Obi-Wan survived through the most dangerous and stressful situations alive.

Ooo

Vader approached the crumpled form of the Jedi before him, injured and slowly dying as the blood leaked from his body. Placing his boot against the Jedi's back, he shoved the Man into the ground and sneered.

"Where are the rest of the Jedi, Roan?"

Roan Shryne raised his head weakly, and managed to say through the pain. "I... Don't... Know..."

Vader couldn't help but sigh in frustration, and ignite his light-sabre in the crimson light once more. He was starting to get impatient with Roan; he had been completely defiant of his interrogations, and no matter how hard he tried, Vader could not rip the location of the remaining Jedi from his lips.

He had to try another tactic.

"Tell me where Obi-Wan Kenobi is, and you shall be spared."

Roan gazed up at him, and whispered. "Kenobi...? Kenobi... I... Heard a rumour..."

"Yes?" Vader urged.

"I heard... He was... Somewhere in... The outer Rim..."

Vader scowled; if Obi-Wan was that far out of the core, then locating him would be even more difficult. Yet, Roan had fulfilled his part to play.

"Very well. You shall have your mercy, Shryne," Vader retorted. "I will deliver it now."

Roan gazed up, ready for the blow to strike him down, but then whispered. "Skywalker... Wait..."

Vader paused in his attack, staring down at him.

"An explosion bright as a star... A forest world, intrepid defenders, escaping ships, and…you, I think, somehow at the centre of it all. Skywalker, it won't matter if you find them. It won't matter if you find and kill every Jedi who survived Order Sixty-Six. I understand now…the Force will never die," Roan whispered. "You may destroy us... All of us... But there is another, which will cause your downfall..."

He closed his eyes again. "A young Boy... Bright as the Force... Even more powerful than you, gaining strength every day... I see Obi-Wan, and Yoda, standing on either side... Of that Child...

"He will be your Death... And your Salvation."

"Tell me where he is?" Vader demanded, 'sabre now close to Roan's neck, ready to slice his head clean off. "Where is this Child?"

"I... Won't say..." Roan whispered. "Only... Kenobi knows... Where that Child is..."

_Obi-Wan knows where the Boy is?_

"Then I see no more use for you then. Goodbye, Roan Shryne," Vader took a deep breath, and slashed the neck, separating head from body.

Staring at the body, Vader turned and headed out of the warehouse and into the street, where a crowd had gathered when someone had witnessed Vader entering into the warehouse, surrounded by Troopers; of course, the Troopers were dead now, as Roan had put up quite a fight.

Leaving the scene without a word- and killing a journalist when they kept pestering him- Vader decided to head home, and plan his next move.

* * *

><p><strong>So, it seems that Luke will be making an appearance soon :)<strong>


	26. Part II, Chapter 10

**Well, here it is! The chapter and moment we've been waiting for!**

**I hope I made you feel how romantic it is in this Chapter; I usually can't write the Romance, and the ones I have done with Obi-Wan/Satine are not usually strong; I can never seem to get the tension, passion and secrecy between the pair right. **

**But anyways, here we go! Please review!**

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><p><em>THE FIRST KISS<em>

Sara began to gain the trust of each Jedi, learning their names and personalities as best as she could, before she was invited to dine with the rest of them; they were already firm friends, and she understood the negativity towards her, as she was a stranger, and for all they knew, she could have been an Imperial spy, sent to find them and locate the last few Jedi.

But Obi-Wan was the one who intrigued her more; he was kind, honesty and generous, but extremely powerful. He didn't know it yet, but she could sense the Force growing more powerful with him every hour, and each day. Her eyes found herself looking at him over the breakfast table, as the Jedi laughed at Garen and Ferus, who were both bickering over who had drunk who's drink unwillingly.

Finally, he stood up, and wandered off.

Sara gazed down at her breakfast, chewing her lip, before feeling Bultar's flesh hand on her shoulder, and gazed up at her.

"Are you okay?" She asked Sara.

"I'm fine; just thinking to myself," Sara admitted. "Although, I was wondering where I can go for swimming exercises?"

"Well, there's the lake, but to gently exercise your muscles and get use to it, there's a waterfall nearby," Bultar suggested. "We sometimes go down there to tend to our injuries and slowly rebuild our strength."

Sara smiled, and said. "Thanks Bultar. I'll head down there just now."

"Be careful though; keep to the shadows," Bultar warned, as Sara got up and cleared her plates away. Waving a farewell to the other Jedi, Sara wandered out and headed towards her quarters- which were stocked with clothes for her to wear- and fished out her one-piece costume, changing quickly into it, before taking a long shirt she had borrowed, and pulling that on as well.

Checking her appearance, Sara ran a hand through her caramel hair, and checked the scratches she still had on her cheek. Blinking at the reflection staring back at her, Sara smiled at her healing injuries, before grabbing a towel, some sandals, and then heading back out into the corridor.

Pausing for a moment, she rushed back inside and grabbed her light-sabre, hitching it in her towel's folds to hide, and ventured back outside, heading to the steps and outside onto the garden.

Staring back at the River House, she smiled at the beautiful flowers that grew up the side of the House, and gently took one into her hand, using the Force to caress the petals and make them dance before her, the flower taking the appearance of full bloom- it was a weak flower compared to the others when she took it, outgrown and slowly wiltering.

That was her power; she could breathe life back into an individual.

A power she knew that Anakin Skywalker sought- now Darth Vader, as the others told her- to have brought his deceased Wife back to the living.

She clenched her fists, realising now what Palpatine wanted her for; a Force Drain would take her power, and he could wield it with disastrous consequences. Now, Sara knew how wrong she was to keep this power hidden; she had to tell Obi-Wan.

He was the obvious leader of the group, even though he didn't like it; as the only living Council Member here, it fell to him to lead them on, protect them and make sure they were alright and could survive.

Sara realised she was clenching the flower tightly, and immediately opened her hand to reveal the squished and slightly shredded flower, no longer living- completely... _Dead._

Her eyes swelled a bit with tears, but she held them back, placing the golden flower in the fountain, and watching it gently float away. Sara smiled gently, before walking down the path, watching the petals from the overhanging trees fall gently down onto her, brushing her skin gently, and landing in her hair. Trailing a hand over a finely cut bush, Sara marvelled in the scenery from the House over the lake, and the path revealed the mountains in the distance, capped with snow.

Winter was obviously on the way to Naboo.

The sound of thunderous water reached her ears, and she headed towards it, down the path amongst the trees, and towards the overhang that viewed the waterfall.

Then a sight came to her eyes.

Obi-Wan was sitting at the edge of the waterfall, wearing red swimming trunks, leaning against the rocks as he basked in the water, head back, the sun highlighting his features. She didn't want to stare- she knew it was rude- but she couldn't help but gaze at the Man.

Despite his age, he looked as though he had a younger physical appearance, worked, with numerous scars adorning his chest and sides. Feeling the heat rise on her face, Sara walked down and headed to the waterfall, praying that Obi-Wan wouldn't mind if she joined him in the water.

The Jedi Master didn't move as she approached, and Sara had a humorous thought that she should poke him with a stick, and see if he was alive, but quickly pushed it away; his ability to be empathic and sense mind alterations was strong, and the last thing she wanted was a scolding from the Jedi.

Clearing her throat, Sara announced her presence.

"I know you're there," Obi-Wan's accented voice sounded, and he raised his head, opening his eyes. There was a playful light in them. "And you needn't have poked me with a stick."

_Drat..._

"Just wanted to make sure you were still conscious," Sara protested. "Can I join you?"

"Of course, go right ahead," Obi-Wan indicated the full width of the waterfall's pool. "Plenty of room- literally and figuratively."

Sara smiled, and pulled her shirt off, and lowered it and the towel to the ground, before gently tapping her toe in the cool water, then slipped in. She sat against the wall and leaned her head back, closing her eyes as the water lapped around her form, before hearing Obi-Wan shift.

Re-opening her eyes, she watched the Jedi Master reach out and take his breather device, popping it in his mouth before submerging. Having an idea, Sara did the same, and followed the Jedi under the water.

He was floating underneath, smiling through the device as she swam before him, before leading her from the shallows and down into the deeper areas.

Her eyes basked in the glow the underwater meadow was in from the light above the water, accenting the different plants and fish that were swimming beneath them, Obi-Wan hovering next to her, and raised her hand, brushing the fin of one as it went past, making it scarper away immediately.

He gave an underwater equivalent of a laugh, and Sara couldn't help but smile with him, the fish coming close to investigate the Human and near-Human, curious at how they differed from them, their mouths gently caressing their exposed skin as they tasted it. She reached out gently, and watched the fish retreat for a moment, before swimming around her and Obi-Wan, the older Jedi doing the same as her, the fish circling him.

Their devices beeped, and alerted them that their reserves were getting low for the devices. Carefully, they ascended, but Sara struggled slightly, unable to find a way to help get herself up quickly; she wasn't the best swimmer, and often flailed around the water to get where she wanted to.

Kamino showed her lack in swimming skills compared to the other Jedi her age; she could only paddle, never usually dive and resurface successfully.

Sensing her difficulty, Obi-Wan's hand found hers, and carefully, he guided her back to the surface, holding her close to him as he swam strongly, their heads soon bursting through the surface and into the sunlight once more.

Taking their devices from their mouths, their feet found the smooth stones beneath them, and they steadied themselves, before looking at one another.

The water lapped around their waists, Obi-Wan's arms still around her, keeping her steady as she looked up into his grey-blue eyes, his wet red hair and beard flattened slightly. That didn't matter to her; she didn't care that her hair was plastered over her face as well, almost obstructing her vision in one eye.

"Thanks," She whispered.

"Not a problem," He whispered back.

The sun filtered on the water, making the droplets that floated into the air from the harmonic sound of the waterfall sparkle like jewels. Carefully, Obi-Wan removed one hand from her waist, and brushed some hair back off her face.

Sara closed her eyes slightly; her breathing low, as he gently cupped her chin, and raised it to his level, their lips just inches away from the other. She could feel his breathing- each and every one of them- flutter her eyelashes, brush her skin...

She opened her eyes, and blinked, staring into his own, before their eyes closed in unison, their lips now an inch away.

Then they brushed, before joining.

Sara felt the tenderness in his lips, the Jedi Master somehow experienced in kissing, and his hand moved from her chin to brush into her hair. Their kiss was soon broken, short but sweet, and she opened her eyes, staring up into his own as they reopened.

"Sara..." Obi-Wan whispered.

Sara rested her forehead against his own, the Jedi Master staring into her eyes as they stood in the water, ignoring the shivering that began to quake in their bodies.

Nothing was going to spoil this moment.

Nothing.


	27. Part II, Chapter 11

**Here we go! The next chapter of the story! Enjoy!**

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><p><em>GATHERING A SQUAD<em>

"Obi-Wan has been away for a while," Garen announced to the other Jedi, as they sat and relaxed in one of the rooms.

It was now night, and the sounds of crickets emitted into the House, vibrating off the wall. The whole atmosphere was peaceful, and the Jedi that had arrived later that afternoon now sat with them once again as friends.

Quinlan Vos had his feet on the table, mud caking his boots, and his strong hands behind his head, dark eyes fixed on a point in the wall which he frowned at. His wounds from the Clones were still fresh on his muscular frame, and his dreadlocks had twigs and leaves stuck inside them. Vos had arrived from Kashyyyk, after a Wookie managed to get him off-world before the Clones cornered him, and the Jedi Master headed towards Naboo.

Apparently, Obi-Wan had sent out a signal in the Force, alerting surviving Jedi that there was a safe haven on Naboo, and there may be other Jedi heading in their direction as they sat there, conversing amongst one another.

Right now, they were also talking about the Cloning facilities on Kamino.

"Maybe we should stop the production," Garen said. "Starve the Empire of their "superior" soldiers."

"Even so," Tsui argued. "The Empire would just find another way to recruit to their cause; and soon we would be hated even more. The destruction of the Cloning facility would only get more to rally to the Empire."

"Not unless we rally those Clone haters," Vos suggested. "I mean, think about it. We had a lot of opposition towards the usage of Clones by certain Senators; maybe we can do the same? Figure out how to contact those Senators and see if we can get some soldiers- disguised of course- and attack the facility."

Bultar nodded, but then said. "Who do we trust?"

"Well, Bail Organa is one Senator," Tsui said. "But one Senator is not enough to help us destroy the Facility; there are thousands of Clones defending the City."

Bultar sighed, and nodded. "We need to talk to Obi-Wan about this, before we decide what to do; this whole operation has so many risks than benefits."

Garen nodded in agreement. "And the risks would include us getting killed in the process, and the Jedi Order going extinct completely."

"What's this about me?" An accented voice sounded.

The Jedi turned to see Obi-Wan and Sara standing at the doorway and _holding hands..._

Suspicion fell immediately on the other Jedi, eying the hands, and then the Man and Woman themselves, before Quinlan Vos bounded to Obi-Wan and the pair shared a brotherly hug.

"Thank the Force you're alive Kenobi," Vos boomed, stepping back. "Seriously! You don't know how relieved I am to see you!"

"Same with you Quinlan," Obi-Wan said, nudging his friend. "When did you get here?"

"A few hours ago," Quinlan answered. "Thought I'd wait around before anything else to see you."

"Well, as you can see, I am here," Obi-Wan wrinkled his nose. "And someone needs a shower."

Quinlan laughed. "Nah, that's the smell of the field Obi-Wan Kenobi."

"No, seriously mate, get a shower," Garen grunted. "You practically stank the whole House out."

Quinlan turned, glaring. "You have the cheek to talk."

"Anyway!" Obi-Wan said loudly, before turning to the other Jedi. "What's this about me?"

"We're discussing what to do," Bultar explained. "We're wondering whether we should launch an assault on Kamino, and stop the Cloning facility; if we starve the Empire of those rapid productions of Elite soldiers, then we have a chance of fighting back."

Obi-Wan sighed heavily, and said. "This is risky. One, we don't have an army to take it, and two, we don't have any ships to take us there."

"Well, what about Bail?" Bultar asked.

"We have already asked too much from Bail," Obi-Wan answered. "I doubt he would lend us some soldiers to face them."

"Excuse me," Sara spoke out. "I was on Kamino before I came here."

Everyone turned to her, and Tsui asked. "When did you plan to tell us?"

"I didn't know," Sara countered. "That you wished to destroy the facility."

She turned to Obi-Wan. "The Cloners kept me safe during Order 66, kept me hidden in fact, until the Empire discovered me. They tried to shield me from the Empire, but they attacked and tried to kill me- I think there might be a way to get in."

Obi-Wan nodded, before turning to the others. "If we are going to do this, we need weapons- more than just lightsabres- to combat the numbers, and quick ships to attack the City's supports."

"Even so," Tsui grunted. "How can we fight against thousands?"

"Yoda and I managed to kill all the Clones at the Jedi Temple," Obi-Wan answered. "That's how we got in. The City will be tough, I can assure you, but once in, we can find ways to destroy the original source and the machinery to stunt their facility."

"Wait," Bultar said. "Isn't this against the Jedi Code? We're taking innocent lives- most that have not been born yet, and the Clones haven't been trained to kill."

"I agree, there are some ethical issues," Tsui said. "But many thousand more will die if we don't stop the production."

"Or, we can free the Cloners," Garen suggested. "And as a debt, they stop the Cloning processes, or, if we need a favour, can help us fight against the Empire."

"And if the Empire have them imprisoned- which they have," Ferus said. "Then we have made some powerful allies, and when we are ready."

"We can fight back," Obi-Wan finished for him. "And return the Jedi and the Republic back to the Galaxy."

He turned to address the others. "I think we should rest, and start our training once again tomorrow; we need to be prepared. I'll talk to the Alderaanians with us and see if they can smuggle any weapons we can use here, and learn how to use them."

Garen smirked, and rubbed his hands. "Rocket launcher for me, thank you very much."

"Yeah right Garen," Ferus rolled his eyes. "You can't carry that beast of a weapon in your aging arms, can you? You can barely hold up a pistol half the time!"

"One of these days Ferus Olin..." Garen glared. "One of these days..."

Obi-Wan chuckled. "Like old times."

Ooo

"Have you found anything?" Palpatine demanded from the hologram of his chief scientists.

There had been an attempt to destroy the evidence that they had collected from the ship that Obi-Wan Kenobi had used to travel to Kessel, and the ship itself was now heavily damaged, and the evidence that had been collected was half-destroyed. Only the dust samples had survived, and the scanning was proving difficult to do as there was not a large sample; it would take a few days before the results could come back.

_"I'm afraid not, my lord," _The scientist answered._ "The samples are still processing, but we have managed to narrow it all down to three systems, all close in proximity."_

Palpatine growled, and clenched his gnarled hands tightly. "I need to find out sooner rather than later."

_"We will try our best my lord,"_ The scientist reassured._ "But we cannot speed the process up. Forgive me for speaking out of turn, but the technology is trying its best. We are lucky to even have the result we do just now."_

Palpatine wanted to kill the scientist for talking back to him, but with-held himself; he was a key scientist, and there was no way he could lose such an intelligent individual because of some attitude problem he has. Leaning back in his seat, Palpatine stared at the hologram, and said. "Very well. Continue your work; I expect reports every day."

_"Yes, my lord,"_ The scientist said.

"And do not fail me," Palpatine snarled. "I have limited patience, and now, it is wearing thin; I am most displeased with your efforts, and I hope that for your sake you find something soon."

The scientist shuddered, and Palpatine disconnected.

Staring at his hands once again, Palpatine closed his eyes and searched for the Force for comfort and an ease to his fears.

_A young Man stood before him, staring up at the hunched and hooded figure with defiance in his sky blue eyes, the blonde locks messed from the fight. The machine lay behind him, breathing rasping and struggling, his right hand missing._

_Lord Vader._

_The Man deactivated the green light-sabre, and turned to him._

_"Never." He threw the 'sabre to the ground. "I will never turn to the Dark Side."_

_He stared at the young Man from under his cowl, a glare on his features._

_"You've failed your highness, for I am a Jedi. Like my Father before me," The Man said defiance and strength in his words._

_Palpatine was shocked, and angry. How dare he defy him? The stupid Boy!_

_Then, he shocked the Boy violently, watching as he writhed before him. This was the Jedi's Hope? This Boy?_

_The son of Anakin Skywalker was just as pathetic as the Father was himself. Here he lay; Luke Skywalker, the supposed saviour of the Republic, and the last of the Jedi._

_Finally, they were going to be extinct, once this Boy was dead!_

_The joy ran through his signature as he sensed Skywalker's failing heart, his whole body beginning to fail under the strength of his lightning..._

_Then he was falling, thrown by the very Man he had modelled, trained to embrace the Darkness within him..._

_Luke Skywalker..._

_Skywalker..._

Palpatine's eyes snapped open, and he jumped up, sweat falling over his features. The name continued to ring through his head, over and over again, the image of the last Jedi burned in his eyes.

He looked like Anakin, but his features were softer, and Padme's own seemed to appear in the Boy as well. His voice was mellow and his form wasn't as worked as the Jedi's should be, but he was definitely a strong Man...

_Luke Skywalker..._

_Where is he?_ Palpatine demanded from the Force. _Tell me!_

Nothing.

He cried out in anger and grief at the thought that he was so close to finding out where the Child was- the Boy that could overthrow his very Empire. Palpatine turned in his seat and stared around and out the window at Coruscant, basking in its majestic sight.

He needed some sort of sign! He needed to know where the Boy would be hiding!

Reaching into the draw of his desk, Palpatine took out a wooden box and placed it on his table, carefully opening it.

Inside was a metal dagger, engraved with Sith language. Picking it up, Palpatine turned it in his hands.

Soon, this would be in the body of the Son of the Chosen One, the Man he had seen in the vision. This blade would pierce the infant's heart, and he would watch him die.

* * *

><p><strong>Ooooo! Palpatine is moving forwards with his plans!<strong>


	28. Part II, Chapter 12

**Well, here we go, the next chapter. We will be moving onto the Battle soon, don't worry!**

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><p><em> A FORBIDDEN LOVE<em>

Obi-Wan sighed heavily as he changed the bandage on his hand, staring at the burn that was still present on his skin, before carefully wrapping the new bandage around his hand, struggling to tie it properly.

A gentle hand found his, and he gazed up to see Sara finish the final wrapping, sealing it down gently on his injured hand with some tape. Staring up at him, Sara smiled before patting the bandage and venturing out the relaxing room.

"Sara?" Obi-Wan called.

Sara turned, and he beckoned her towards him.

"I need to know something, and I don't want any diversions from the truth or lies," Obi-Wan sat down on the couch, and patted the spot next to him. "I want to know how you survived Order 66, and crashed into the swamp a few days ago. I could sense your power is greater than I first thought, and I need to know what that consists of."

Sara looked away, and he reached over, gently cupping her chin and turning her face back around to him. There was fear and worry in her eyes, something that Obi-Wan didn't wish to see in them, and he whispered. "Sara, what we're about to do, I need to know everything if we are to free this planet, I need to know what we are up against before we end up dying from the lack of information. Please Sara, tell me everything."

Sara looked up and their eyes met for that moment. "Okay. Okay, I'll tell you. But please, don't judge me for what I'm about to say."

Obi-Wan looked shocked. "Judge you?"

"My life hasn't exactly been good, Obi-Wan," Sara took a deep breath. "I was once in league with Count Dooku."

Obi-Wan fell silent, staring at her, then took his hand away from her chin, turning from her. "You were part of the Separatist movement."

"I was trained by the Jedi at a young age- like all were- and my Master was Fay herself," Sara looked at her knees. "But then, when I heard about the corruption in the Galactic Republic, and that the Senators were being bribed and bought by the corporations to keep the War going on Palpatine's request, I left the Order and went looking for Dooku. I thought he could help me end Palpatine, but all he wanted from me was my gifts; due to my Father being a similar species to Fay, I had a unique talent that I inherited from his side. I could create or breathe life into an individual, but also take it away if I got too angry or scared.

"Dooku thought he could use that ability to defeat the Clones and the Jedi; he began experimenting on me, taking blood every now and then, sending it to scientists to try and create a super-being that could destroy an army in seconds," Sara turned away. "I escaped, and went on the run; now I was wanted by both Separatist and Republic. There was only one place I could go to, and that was Kamino; I had some friends there, including Lama Su's son."

"I understand," Obi-Wan said. "But how did you escape Order 66? Kamino isn't exactly the best place to hide from the Clones."

"When Order 66 was initiated, I was taken from my room and down into a hidden area of the City; it had doors that made its way outside and I could enter the main building for food and such in secrecy, and the Clones wouldn't notice," Sara frowned. "I don't know how they found out I was there though, although the Emperor did arrive when Lama Su learned what had happened, and tried to stop the manufacture of any more Clones."

Obi-Wan nodded. "And he sensed you. I understand now."

Sara looked up at him. "I was trapped in a training hall at the time when they entered; they shot my light-sabres out my hands and encircled me. They tried to kill me, but my rage began to rise and the Sith in me broke out; I butchered the Clones there- desperate to survive- and ran. The Emperor came and tried to take me down, but I jumped out from the window of the City and downwards into the water, but the problem was I couldn't swim properly. I could enter and swim down, but as you saw at the waterfall, I can't swim upwards."

"You panic," Obi-Wan observed. "That's understandable, especially in those circumstances."

"Yes, I guess so," Sara sighed heavily. "So, Laturi took me to a ship and I got off-world. I heard your message and that's when I made my way to Naboo."

"I can sense you have some of the Light still remaining inside you; if not you would not have got my message," Obi-Wan ran a hand through his hair. "So, now you are both a Former Jedi and Sith, and are now an outlaw."

"I want to rejoin what's left of the Jedi Order," Sara said.

"You can't Sara; once a Sith, always a Sith," Obi-Wan argued. "Unless you prove to me at Kamino that you are willing to redeem and become a Jedi once again, you are now in Exile."

Sara gazed up. "Obi-Wan..."

"If I had known... I wouldn't have..." Obi-Wan stood up. "We leave in an hour. Go and get prepared, and get some rifles or pistols just in case."

He turned and walked off, but didn't venture far. Obi-Wan leaned on the wall outside the room, and gazed down at the floor, before placing his hands over his face, trying to stall the tears that were threatening to fall.

How could he do this? How could he be such a hypocrite? He had fallen in love with a Sith, the very being that had slain his Master, that had ensnared Anakin and now reigned supreme, enslaving the innocent in the Galaxy and plunging them into darkness.

For him, this was a love that could never happen for him.

Lowering his hands, he heard Sara sniff, and gazed back at her to see her wipe some tears away, before getting up. Zipping away, Obi-Wan used the Force to increase his speed and head onto the balcony, staring at the ship that would embark them on their mission to Kamino; it was the same one they had used to arrive at Naboo in the first place.

The weapons were stolen from the Nubian Secret service- by courtesy of Garen, who had experience from their teenage years of managing to slyly steal things from under people's noses- and were being loaded onto the ship. When they arrived at the system, they would armour up and then storm the City by surprise.

Hopefully it would go well.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and ventured down towards the platform, ready to oversee the final preparations for the assault on Kamino.

Ooo

_Slave I_ arrived over Naboo, the two occupants watching the planet as the ship headed downwards towards the terrestrial-based orb. Boba was already in his armour, and Cad Bane was checking his pistols, red eyes watching the surrounding areas as they floated over the landscapes for any sign of hidden bases on their scanners.

"This is gonna be difficult; our contact wasn't a hundred percent sure that they were even here!" Boba protested, turning to Bane. "And we're probably going to be fighting at least five Jedi!"

"One, five, there's not much difference at all," Bane grunted. "Besides, I managed to take down _two_ Jedi on Teth."

"Well, whatever is happening, I have a feeling they might be on the move; knowing the last of the Jedi, they would move immediately if they were discovered and get out of here as soon as possible," Boba pointed out. "Let's lie low and see if we can spot them should a random ship appear; this is open country. It should be only speeders or fancy Nubian ships. Any off-world ships that don't belong to the Naboo will be easily spotted."

Bane rolled his eyes. "If you say so Boba. Let's land and keep the scanners up and ready just in case."

Boba nodded, and gently took the ship down to perch on a rocky ledge over-looking the magnificent lake and a River House in the distance, before the pair leaned back in their seats in unison. For them, this was going to be a long wait.

_Ooo_

_"We need a leader," The brown haired bearded Man was saying. "And you are more suited to the role, Master."_

_The others looked to him. They were all clothed in beige tunics and tabards, with different coloured under-shirts adorning their torsos, each a different species or- as some were- the same species, and they were human if so._

_The blonde haired Man they were all staring at looked no older than Forty or so, but his eyes betrayed his true age; he was past his middle age, and this was evident from the greys that were beginning to line his hair, and the age lines on his forehead and cheeks were not yet as prominent as they could be._

_His eyes still held the familiar blue that He was starting to hate..._

_"Very well," The blonde haired Man said. "If this is the will of the Council..."_

_"It's not just our will, sweetheart," A red haired Woman said, smiling at him from his right (she said "sweetheart" quietly, to save embarrassment from the other Jedi, even though they knew they were married). "The Force speaks it as well."_

_He gazed at her. "How can you be sure?"_

_"Luke," Another Human said. "You have rebuilt the Jedi Order since the Emperor fell the first time; you have defeated him once again a few years later, and started up the Jedi Academy, training hopefuls to become Jedi and, therefore, brought peace once more on the Republic. You have been seen as our Leader since the Empire finally fell, and through the Yuuzhan Vong War. Now, it is time for you to take up your destiny and become Grand Master of the Jedi Order."_

_"It is your Desstiny Luke," A reptilian-like Jedi said. "You are meantz to be Grand Masster ssince the day you build your light-ssabre."_

_The Blonde haired Man gazed at each of them in turn- even his wife- before nodding. "I accept."_

_"And we are glad," The others said in unison. "You, Luke Skywalker, are now Grand Master of the Jedi Order."_

Palpatine jumped awake, hearing the persistent buzzing of his desk comm. He must have fallen asleep on his desk, still tired from the events that had occurred recently.

Running a hand over his face, Palpatine gazed over at the comm. and flicked the speaker on.

"What is it?" He demanded.

_"My Lord! We've made a break-through!" _The scientist said his voice full of excitement and glee_. "__We've found out the exact location of where Obi-Wan has been hiding!"_

Palpatine felt excitement rising, and a smirk rose onto his features; the Jedi could not hide from him anymore! Now, he would see if there was a reason why Kenobi was there in the first place! But he still needed more proof as to know if Kenobi had a child with him when he went to the planet.

"Tell me," Palpatine said firmly. "Where was he hiding?"

There was a rustle of paper, and the scientist said. _"Tatooine. He was hiding on Tatooine."_

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><p><strong>He knows! Palpatine knows!<strong>


	29. Part II, Chapter 13

**Well, here's the building up to the battle! It might be one long chapter or two long ones. It just depends, but enjoy!**

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><p><em>BEHIND ENEMY LINES<em>

Obi-Wan hated having to go undercover, but when many lives were at stake then he literally had no choice.

He sighed heavily and adjusted the Nubian armour he wore on his torso, arms and shins, before pulling the helmet over his head, staring out the window at the others as they approached the ship, ready to head to Kamino. Like him, they all wore similar armour, but adorned different weapons aside from their light-sabres; Garen had won the battle over taking the supposed rocket launcher as his weapon, strapping it to his back, while Ferus (grudgingly) took some double pistols, like Obi-Wan did himself.

After what had occurred between him and Sarianna, Obi-Wan debated whether he should let her come along in the first place, but after Bultar used her classic hands-on-hips-and-pout motion to convince Obi-Wan to let her come along. Although, Obi-Wan had given Sara strict orders to keep on the ship and not interfere with their mission; he didn't want Sara to get influenced by the Dark Side and become a Sith once again.

Placing his hands on the handles of his pistols, Obi-Wan walked towards the ramp of the ship and stared at the other Jedi as they approached, Artoo rolling behind them, beeping and whistling loudly at him, before nudging against his leg. Patting the Droid's domed head, Obi-Wan smiled down at him, before looking up at the other Jedi.

"We're ready to go," He said to them.

Garen nodded, and turned to Ferus. "Well, guess I am the big gun now Ferus."

Ferus scoffed at that. "You're not _the big gun_, Garen Muln. Nothing compares to a good blaster."

Garen snorted, and then said. "Yeah... A rocket launcher against a couple of pistols... Rockets can destroy things."

"When you two are quite finish," Tsui huffed. "We are ready to go."

Bultar giggled behind her hand, before getting on the ship with Obi-Wan, Sara only following with her head bowed, and refusing to gain eye contact with Obi-Wan. The Jedi also looked away, the awkwardness of their silence starting to affect the other Jedi as well.

"Let's go," Obi-Wan finally said after a moment, and led the rest of the Jedi up into the ship, before heading for the two Alderaanians. Tapping Achilles on the shoulder, Obi-Wan said. "We're ready to go."

He nodded, before saying. "We'll be arriving at Kamino within two hours, if we have the speed at high."

"Best keep our speed low once we head into the system," The other said. "Otherwise we're in trouble; we come in too fast and then they'll be suspicious of us."

Obi-Wan nodded in agreement. "Then let's get going, and head into hyperspace as soon as possible. If you have any weapons yourselves, then we would appreciate it."

"We could help, but one of us needs to stay on the ship to pilot it," Archilles said. "Unless your Droid is willing to keep the ship steady and ready for a quick exit."

"Artoo is willing to do so," Obi-Wan answered, and in agreement, the Droid beeped in agreement. "If that's okay for you Artoo; I don't want you doing anything you don't want to do."

Artoo gave a beep, almost making Obi-Wan visualise that- if the Droid had a pair of eyes- he would have rolled them.

"Okay, if you wish to," Obi-Wan said, patting his head, before turning to the two Alderaanians. "Just get him plugged into the ship, and he's ready to go."

Achilles nodded, and moved a bit for the Droid to move in and plug itself into the control panel. Shaking his head, Obi-Wan moved to the seating area, where the rest of the Jedi were sitting- they needed to discuss what their plan was. They couldn't just go in guns blazing (literally) and kill every Clone in their way.

Obi-Wan headed into the room, and they all looked up at him.

"What's the plan?" Bultar asked as he sat down next to her.

"Well, discussion," Tsui said. "Do we just sneak in, or drop down and attack?"

"Well," Quinlan said. "Why don't we have a couple of us drop down into the water, and from there, we can have a couple drop down onto the main platform and distract the Troopers, so that the others can sneak into the main facility and destroy what they can."

"Good idea," Garen said. "But who can handle the Clones while the others sneak in?"

"We need good wielders of the movements," Obi-Wan answered. "Preferably defence practitioners."

"You're one," Bultar said. "And I can do so as well."

"Your arm is still recovering," Ferus argued. "We can't have you fighting large scale battles yet, and this is going to be a blood bath for sure."

"There are guarantees some of us might not survive," Tsui said. "And we have to be prepared for it."

Sara raised her head, and said. "I'll go."

"No," Obi-Wan said firmly. "You are staying with the ship, and remaining here until we come back. Understood?"

"I can help!" Sara argued. "I know my way around the facility better than anyone else here, and once we've tackled the Troopers, you need to get into the Cloning areas as well!"

"Sara, you are staying here," Obi-Wan said in a voice that brooks no argument. "No arguments."

Everyone stared between them, and Sara glared at Obi-Wan, before folding her arms.

"I'll god then," Quinlan said with a sigh. "Come on Obi-Wan; let's get ready to jump into the fray."

Obi-Wan nodded, and he and Quinlan went off to prepare, while Bultar turned to Sara and patted her hand gently.

"He's been through a lot recently," She said gently. "Just give him some time."

Sara looked up at her. "I just don't understand what I've done wrong."

"He's never told you, did he?" Bultar said. "He lost so much to the Sith; his Master, friends..."

"Apprentice," Garen included. "Anakin was like his son; his betrayal hit Obi-Wan the hardest compared to anything else. And I highly doubt he has recovered from it at all."

Ooo

When Kamino finally appeared, the Jedi began their preparations. There was some scuba gear in the store, and Garen and Ferus offered to go under the water and plant some deadly explosives on the power generators for the facility, while Achilles and the other Alderaanian prepared to drop down on the Southern facility with Tsui and Bultar.

Seeing as the swim to the main City would be long, it was agreed that Garen and Ferus would be dropped off first- once they were cleared.

After assuring the Imperials that they were a technician team for the facility and sending a code that they managed to guess right (it was old, from the Clone Wars, but still managed to check out) they made their way down towards the water world, flying over the treacherous sea.

Sensing the nerves building from Sara over the water (Obi-Wan now realised she had a fear of swimming), Obi-Wan finally deduced that his command was right; it was best if Sara stayed on the ship, and out of the way; the risk of falling in the fight towards the raging waters was too risky, and he couldn't let that happen, even to her. When Garen and Ferus emerged in their scuba gear, Obi-Wan activated the ramp, and nodded at the pair for them to jump in.

Garen and Ferus gave him the thumbs up, before jumping into the raging waters, rolling under the surface for a moment, and headed straight towards the jet packs that Obi-Wan had carefully tossed in as well, latching themselves on and using the craft to take them towards the magnificent pillars supporting the main cloning facility. Heaving a breath when he heard over the comm. that they were safe, and alright, Obi-Wan nodded to Quinlan, and the pair walked to the still open ramp, taking a pistol each, and then their light-sabres.

"Artoo! Get ready!" Obi-Wan yelled at the Droid.

Its beeping sounded from the bridge, and both Obi-Wan and Quinlan ignited their light-sabres, before the landing platform appeared beneath them. Luckily, there was only a few white-clad Troopers awaiting their arrival for the apparent technical team, and when the Jedi jumped out, they gazed in shock before firing at both the pair and the ship.

Building the Force around themselves, Obi-Wan and Quinlan landed smoothly, before a shot from Quinlan's pistol struck a Trooper through the head.

"This is where the fun begins!" Quinlan chuckled. "Let's get this show on the road Man!"

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes, and opened fire with his pistol, and parried shots back with his light-sabre. Soon, more Troopers were beginning to appear, soon engaging the Jedi immediately.

With any luck, the others would have made it to their section, and Garen and Ferus would be climbing up the supports, setting explosives as they went.

Ooo

"So, it's true," Tarkin said, staring out at the fire-fight on the main platform. "The Jedi have decided to make a feeble attempt at a stand."

"Yes, Captain," The Trooper announced. "The suspicion rose when the ship that was meant to dock never arrived, and when we spotted two life-forms entering the ocean from our spies in the sea."

"Make sure that the Jedi there do not enter the facility," Tarkin ordered. "Or it will be hell to pay with."

"Yes Captain," The Trooper quickly strode off, but Tarkin stopped him.

"Has my special units arrived yet?" He demanded.

"They have, sir," The Trooper answered, and the door opened.

Black coloured Troopers emerged, accompanied by a tall figure dressed completely in black, wielding a long pike. They stood to attention, before commanded from the beast underneath the dark clothing in some horrific language, and rushed off.

The figure turned to Tarkin, and said in a horrific voice. "They will intercept the Jedi. And capture each one of them for the Emperor."

"Good, my friend," Tarkin said. "And I trust that your programming has allowed you some way that enables you to defeat the Jedi Alcarez, otherwise the Emperor will be forced to deactivate you."

The Figure bowed, and left the command centre, his cortosis armour clanking as he moved through the corridor.

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><p><strong>Oh, and did anyone see the Han Solo reference? :P And if you're wondering who that figure is, you won't find out for a while!<strong>


	30. Part II, Chapter 14

**I was originally going to have the battle in one big chapter, but decided that it would be too much for everyone to read, so it's been split into three chapters instead! :)**

**Please remember to leave all that all important review!**

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><p><em>FREEING KAMINO<em>

The troopers were starting to congregate on the platform that Obi-Wan and Quinlan were on, blasters continually firing at the two Jedi as they successfully parried their shots back, and their own blasters soaring their own shots at the troopers, pounding into their white armour, until the numbers got too much and the two Jedi were forced to retreat back.

Jumping onto the bridge below, the pair slashed at the support holding the platform, the metal now ripped and the platform unsteady, trying to hold the weight of troopers on only one support. Raising their hands, Obi-Wan and Quinlan raised their hands in unison, and the platform began to tilt towards the unstable side, before finally caving under the weight, troopers falling into the treacherous waters.

Obi-Wan nodded to Quinlan and the pair turned to face the main building, rushing to the door that was visible, their light-sabres still ignited and their pistols ready to fire should any enemies emerge from the door, and in numbers. Testing the door, Obi-Wan concentrated, trying to sense any living beings inside the corridor- and whether they were heading towards their direction- before nodding to Quinlan, who slashed the door down before running in.

"Clear," He announced, and the two Jedi extinguished their light-sabres before running left down the corridor, relying on Quinlan's unique senses to locate the natives, and if they were close to the Cloning facility. Slowing to a run, Obi-Wan gave a closed fist, and Quinlan nodded, as the red haired Jedi glanced around the corner to check where there were any troopers nearby, or any sign of the Cloning facility, spotting a couple of the troopers at one of the sliding doors.

Obi-Wan stepped back, standing next to Quinlan, and whispered. "We're close to the command centre, but I can't sense the natives; the minds are too jumbled up for me to distinguish which one is Clone and which one was Kamino."

"Well, got a map?" Quinlan joked.

"It has been four years since I was last here," Obi-Wan retorted. "I can't remember which way from here, only from the front door."

"Why didn't we think of that?" Quinlan sighed. "Well, I guess we can find a map or something."

"Well, that's a start," Obi-Wan said. "But we are in a bit of a dangerous situation right now."

Quinlan nodded, before gazing around and said, "Well, let's try the sliding doors just now."

Obi-Wan nodded, and took his pistols, before checking the charge in them. Taking a deep breath, he skidded out and fired, taking out the pair before they could even fight back or turn around. Quinlan ran out from around the corner as the sliding doors opened before Obi-Wan, summoning his 'sabre and igniting it when a couple more troopers appeared from the other side, parrying shots back while Obi-Wan used the pistols to blast their legs or arms, before they were taken out by Quinlan's green 'sabre.

An alarm blared above their head, and the sliding doors disappeared, and a larger door- heavy metal- began to descend on the corridor. Running as fast as they could, the two Jedi slid underneath, just as it closed, and rolled onto their knees, Obi-Wan's 'sabre now in his own hand, ignited and ready. Staring around, he sighed at the similar corridors that were now presented to the pair, and gazed up at Quinlan.

"We're not getting anywhere."

"I know," He said, before running down the corridor. "But it's still early in the mission; we just gotta locate the life-sources and distinguish them. Can you sense the largest mass? That should be the Cloning facility."

Obi-Wan skidded to a halt at a corner, and closed his eyes, focusing on the largest mass of life-energy in the whole area, before saying. "West from here. So Right."

Quinlan nodded, and the pair rushed down the right corridor, Obi-Wan leading Quinlan at full speed, and whenever they faced any troopers, the pair parried their shots back and threw them with the Force against the wall.

They were so busy with locating the Cloning facility that the two Jedi failed to see the black armoured troopers slinking in the shadows of the corridor, quietly putting electric canisters into their rifles, before activating their wrist-band gadgets.

And disappearing from sight.

Ooo

Bultar, Tsui and Sara watched as the ship circled over the smoke where the landing platform that they had dropped Obi-Wan and Quinlan was once standing proud.

Now, it was nothing but a smoking wreck, a couple of fires slowly being doused by the rain that was persistently falling onto the buildings. The two Alderaanians suddenly shouted for them to grab hold of their chairs, as the ship suddenly rocked violently.

"Fighters. In coming," Achilles called. "I'm taking you three down, and I'll try and lose this geezer."

Bultar nodded, and grabbed her light-sabre, ready to be ignited, as did Tsui. Hesitantly, Sara followed salute, taking her shoto into her hand and standing with the other two at the ramp, as it gently lowered to reveal a modified fighter tailing them, continuously firing at them. The wings were modified into a six lined shape, with a circle in the middle, copied in the window as well, and revealing a black clothed trooper piloting the ship.

The other two Jedi ignited their light-sabres, before leaping out of the ship, igniting their blades in a blue light. Sara gulped, seeing the water, before jumping after them, her shoto and light-sabre ignited in a crimson light, parrying some of the fighter's shots back as they missed their target, before copying the others as they extinguished their 'sabres, pulling her arms tight into her body to catch up with the pair, slowing herself down when she reached them.

In unison- and sharing each other's thoughts- they flipped and landed on the ground, fists pushed into the ground and the Force of their landing sending concrete into the air, cracking the ground underneath them. Tsui was the first to ignite his 'sabre as a pair of miniature AT's appeared, being steered by a single trooper each, and expertly leapt from side to side before jumping on one, stabbing a trooper from behind.

Bultar and Sara ran for the other, and Bultar slid underneath, her light-sabre slicing one leg off and making the machine fall. When the trooper got up and aimed his pistol at Sara as she approached, she waved her hand and the trooper's arm flew off-range, the shot flying into the sky, before Sara threw her shoto at the trooper, the scarlet blade slicing into his chest, the trooper standing for a moment before toppling to the ground.

"BULTAR!" Tsui yelled, as he struggled to control the machine he was on.

Bultar ran up to the machine and jumped up onto the machine, strapping herself in and soon bringing the machine under control, before turning towards the massive doors and steering the machine towards it, powering up the lasers at the front before opened fire...

The main doors were blasted inwards, and then miniature lasers soared towards them.

Sara summoned her shoto and ignited her main light-sabre, skilfully parrying the shots back with Jar'kai, Tsui flipping off and going to help her while Bultar tried to turn the targeting system towards the troopers. Soon, parried shots and lasers flew back at the troopers, causing them to retreat away.

"They're falling back!" Tsui called to Bultar. "LET'S PRESS THE ADVANTAGE!"

"It's not over yet!" Bultar yelled back, as a massive hangar door opened nearby.

An AT-ST appeared, and turned towards them.

"BULTAR! RUN!" Sara screamed at her, and the black haired Jedi woman pulled the machine away, as the larger laser fire soared towards her.

"SARA! TAKE THE LEFT! WE CAN CAPTURE IT!" Tsui yelled, and the pair swapped sides, running towards it, flipping and ducking fire that soared towards them, trying to stop their advance towards them. An explosion behind them told the pair that Bultar had been struck, and Sara leapt onto the leg of the massive vessel, risking a glance back to see Bultar get thrown and roll on the ground as her vessel was struck.

Pushing herself up, Sara nodded at Tsui, and rammed her crimson 'sabre into one of the viewing areas of the AT, hearing a yell and then a few blaster shots as the other occupant began his defence against her; the elongated gun channels that supported her weight began moving, causing Sara to overbalance and fall, grabbing hold of one, her dual 'sabres falling to the ground.

"TSUI! DO SOMETHING!" She screamed at him.

The Jedi Master flipped onto the top, and rammed his light-sabre into the hatch, turning it in a full circle before pulling it off and leaping in. In a flash of blue, the other occupant was killed, and the AT was stable, helping Sara clamber up, summon her light-sabres and jump into the machine.

"Let's get Bultar inside," She gasped. "And then we're better protected in here."

Tsui nodded, and Sara took the controls next to him, steering the vessel towards Bultar as she tried to get up, a couple of troopers approaching her, rifles aimed for her back.

She gasped and turned the troopers ready to fire.

"Time's up, Jedi filth."

Then, they were gone in a blast of red, making Bultar turn to see the AT-ST walk towards her, then stop. Sara poked her head up out of the hatch, and called. "Get in!"

The female Jedi nodded, and then jumped up into the air and landed down in the main pit of the AT-ST. Once she was settled, Bultar asked. "What are we going to do?"

"Well, we could sneak in as Imperials?" Tsui offered. "We haven't heard from Kenobi and Vos yet."

"We need to have hope that they can destroy the Cloning facility," Bultar said. "Or we are in trouble; they'll keep coming at us until we get exhausted and crumble."

"Why not use the AT-ST?" Sara asked. "Doesn't it have direct entrance to the training arenas? They're close to the Cloning facilities; if I remember correctly, they only have glass separating the developing tubes and the rest of the Clones from where they eat and such."

"Then let's get to it!" Tsui huffed, before pausing.

"Tsui, what's wrong?" Bultar asked, seeing the pause.

The Jedi turned to stare out the viewing hole, and whispered. "We're not alone. We're not the only Force-users here."

"What-," Bultar paused as the door opened, and a tall figure appeared, dressed completely in black, and carrying a staff. They couldn't see the face of the figure, and therefore know whether it was human or not.

Sara's eyes widened. "It can't be..."

The figure ignited a double ended light-sabre, stowing its staff on its back, and ran forwards.

"TSUI!" Bultar screamed as the Jedi Master flipped out and landed before the AT-ST, and immediately tried to climb out.

"GO!" Tsui yelled back. "COMPLETE THE MISSION!"

"Bultar..." Sara croaked. "We need to..."

"I'm not leaving Tsui," Bultar retorted, and leapt out as well, igniting her own light-sabre.

Both Jedi stood side by side, trying to stare the figure down. It worked, and it paused just twenty feet away from the pair, light-sabre ready to attack. Then a voice- a demonic voice, sounded from the depths of its hood.

"You should not have come back, Jedi filth."

Without waiting for a reply, it ran straight for them, a screech ringing from its hood, and attacked.

Sara felt her throat constrict, and stared down. Should she help? Or go and complete the mission?

Complete the mission, a voice sounded. Bultar and Tsui can handle the creature.

Sara nodded, and turned the AT-ST around, aiming a missile for the figure.

She fired.

Ooo

Under the water, Ferus and Garen were so far remaining undetected, having just reached the main structure to the city, and swam upwards, appearing above the surface. Pulling his mask off, Ferus turned to Garen. "Ready?"

"Ready," Garen said. "Let's set the charges as we climb up. Remove the scuba packs!"

Ferus did what he said, and Garen followed, before the pair fired their ascension cables upwards, latching onto the bridge visible above them, before gently pulling themselves up, planting the grenades in a circle as they headed upwards.

"Garen?" Ferus asked.

"Yeah kid?" Garen answered, poking his head around so he could see him.

"You realise that if they fail up in the City, we're their only hope," Ferus said.

"I know kid. So let's make sure that we don't fail," Garen said, before thinking.

_Hopefully._


	31. Part II, Chapter 15

**Well, here's another update for you! I _will_ try to update quicker, if my block slowly disappears into the distance...**

**Please remember to leave all that all important review!**

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><p><em>THE STALKING OF SHADOWS<em>

_"_Obi-Wan!" Vos suddenly sounded. "We have company!"

Obi-Wan jumped and gazed around at the surroundings. They had successfully infiltrated the main Cloning facility, and were now scaling the massive metal columns that housed the tubes of the clones inside, planting explosives as they went to try and destroy the tubes. Gripping his wire tighter, he continued to gaze around.

It was too quiet, and his senses were screaming that something was dreadfully wrong; like something was...

Stalking them.

Now, he felt the hair on the back of his neck rise as though a shadow had passed over and left a chill on his body. His hand tightened on the wire that held him stable on the column, and placed the explosive in his hand against the column, before grabbing his light-sabre, eyes still surveying the area.

A door suddenly banged nearby, and the pair of Jedi jumped at the action, watching it swing helplessly for a few moments, before it was still.

A shadow flickered in the corner of Obi-Wan's eye, and he turned his head around, staring around for the source. Another shadow moved above Vos, and the dark-haired Jedi gazed upwards.

"I think we do have company," Obi-Wan whispered to Vos. "There's something here."

"Something we can't see," Vos concluded, and the pair tried to extend their senses. However, they met nothing; no life-energy, no enemy that they could detect nearby or in the vicinity of the room. To them, it was just nerves, a massive awareness to something as dangerous a mission as this was. "Or they're just playing with our senses."

"They didn't use anything to distort our senses; we know that," Obi-Wan said.

"Maybe they used some gas, invisible to us," Vos suggested. "That we inhaled? The Clones have helmets, and therefore they have ventilation and respirators to make sure they can survive in the vacuum of space."

"Possibly, but if it was some sort of suppressant gas, we would have had a reaction towards it," Obi-Wan said. "We would come out in a rash or be choking our heads off until we got to fresh air."

Vos frowned, and said, "Well, something is not right. I can tell."

Obi-Wan then saw it; a flicker of blue illuminated by the glow of the cloning tubes, and then heard the click of a pistol...

"QUINLAN, DETACH!" He yelled, and flicked the release button of his grapple, pulling himself upwards as a shot that was aimed for the pair soared past and struck a cloning tube. Vos had detached himself and landed on the metal platform with revolving cylinders, where, out of no-where, four black-armoured troopers emerged from no-where, surrounding the Jedi Master, who ignited the green blade.

"OBI-WAN! Detonate!" He yelled. "Do it!"

"I won't!" Obi-Wan yelled back, just as he heard a low hum from above him. Staring up, he spotted similar black-armoured troopers above him, one aiming for the grapple hook that was holding him steady. Grabbing his light-sabre, Obi-Wan ignited the blade and sliced the wire itself, flipping back and heading downwards towards Quinlan.

Flipping, he landed easily on the ground, and dashed towards the nearest trooper, who turned.

His head flew into the air and landed on the ground.

"Fire!" A gruffy voice sounded from one of the others.

Electric cables blasted out of the nozzle of the rifles towards Obi-Wan and Vos. Leaping into the air, both Jedi crossed each other's paths, and slashed at the troopers nearest them, only to find that they were prepared for their attack; they stepped away from the blades, and fired again.

A cable latched itself around Vos' ankle, electricity shooting through his leg- aided by the metal on the boots- and Vos yelled in pain, before aiming to strike the trooper. The Trooper nearest Obi-Wan fired another cable towards him, and he ducked, grabbed the cable and yanked it clean out of the pistol, before curling it against another shadow trooper, the lingering electricity over-riding that of the trooper's gear and making it burst into flames.

The pressure getting too much, Obi-Wan dropped it and threw his light-sabre at another, but a cable wrapped around his waist, and then his wrists as the others appeared behind the Jedi.

"Bring them down!" One trooper yelled. "Intensify the current!"

Obi-Wan's light-sabre curved back towards him, and Obi-Wan caught it, slashing through another wire and freeing his waist and trapped wrist. Vos was over-run by the cables, and yelling in pain as he was forced into the curve of the metal wheel, making Obi-Wan rush towards him, slashing some wires off of him.

Grabbing a pistol, Obi-Wan made to fire at a trooper, only for their own shot to cause the pistol to fly out his hand and drop the dangerous level towards the ground below, clattering as it went.

"Obi-Wan..." Vos sounded as he looked up. "Detonate..."

Obi-Wan grabbed the trigger from his belt, and made to push the button when the troopers pounced on him, causing the trigger to fly into the air. Focusing on the ignition button, Obi-Wan built the Force inside him, and pushed the button.

The explosives rang through the chamber, rocking the structure as the cloning cylinders began to fall, their columns now destroyed and the metal wheels falling down towards them as well. Grabbing Vos, and summoning his light-sabre into his hand, Obi-Wan pulled his arm around his shoulder and then the Jedi himself onto his shoulders, before jumping.

The glass fell with them, steel and wires with it, and crashed through the glass covering the walk-way below them, landing on the floor of the walkway. They didn't have time to recover, as the glass shattered on that of the walkway, and Obi-Wan grabbed Vos, dragging him towards the sliding door and pushed them both through, landing the ground.

With a sickening crash, a metal column split through the area they had been lying on before, the walkway now falling to pieces as it descended further.

There were clicks above their heads, and both Vos and Obi-Wan raised their heads to see squads of Storm-troopers, their rifles aimed for the Jedi, and a familiar thin faced, gnarled hand individual before them.

He smirked, and said. "Hello there my friends."

Obi-Wan glared, and muttered. "Tarkin."

"It seems that your efforts are futile," Tarkin said, as the troopers dragged the pair to their feet, confiscating their light-sabres. "Yes, you may have destroyed the cloning facility, but here you are, now in my possession. The Clones no longer matter; they would have been destroyed anyway. We are now recruiting fresher and more spirited warriors than the soulless bunch we had in the Clone Wars."

"So this was all a trap," Obi-Wan retorted.

"My friend, did you really think Sara had any choice?" Tarkin explained. "She knew that the Clones' days were numbered, but she knew that they still needed to be destroyed. You have been played, Kenobi. Played and shamed by a Woman that thought loved you."

He turned to the troopers. "Take them away to the command centre, bind them and then go and find the others; we will await for the Emperor to arrive here."

Obi-Wan felt fear rise over that; if the Emperor came here, then they were in trouble, particularly if he started asking questions about where the other Jedi were located. Since Obi-Wan knew where Yoda himself was hiding, Palpatine would focus his attention more on Obi-Wan's questioning, and would do anything to divulge the name of the planet that Yoda resided on, so that he could kill the Grand Master himself before the Jedi now waiting to be in his clutches.

Struggling slightly against the troopers dragging him along, Obi-Wan stared in worry at Vos, who was limp and weakened substantially from the electrocution he had endured from the shock-cables. Gazing at the trooper to his left, Obi-Wan pleaded. "My friend needs help. Please, give him some morphine to ease the pain!"

"No can do, Jedi scum," The trooper retorted. "I ain't wasting it on some filth such as yourself."

Obi-Wan bit his lip and looked at Vos once more, as the pair was dragged into a lift, which bore them high above the City and towards the top of a massive tower. When the doors finally opened, they found themselves looking at a communications centre, and heavily armoured troopers pacing around or working on the panels.

Obi-Wan saw a hooded figure standing at a window, watching the rain, and then gazed around to see Tsui and Bultar kneeling against the wall, bound tightly and looking a bit worse for wear. When Bultar raised her head, her eyes widened and she said.

"Obi-Wan! Quinlan!"

Obi-Wan made to say a greeting, when he and Vos were shoved against the wall too, and were bound tightly. Staring around, Obi-Wan gazed up to see the figure shift, and move away from the window, turning to face the four Jedi before it.

"Where is Sara?" Obi-Wan whispered. "Still on the ship?"

"Well... She jumped with us, and... We told her to run when that... Creep up there," Bultar said. "Attacked us. It was too quick; we didn't see it coming. He was really skilled, even for a Master and Knight."

Obi-Wan looked up at the figure, as it made its way towards them, before stopping just ten feet away. Gazing over them, its eyes found Obi-Wan, and a rasping voice sounded.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi?"

"Possibly," The Jedi Master retorted. "Who wants to know?"

The figure lowered its hood, to reveal a severely distorted face, twisted by Sith alchemy. Its eyes were a deep yellow, and its teeth were sharp and mostly canines, hands curled into claws.

"Perfect," It sneered. "Because Palpatine himself wants to ask you some questions."

"I'll never answer anything that backstabbing son of a—" Obi-Wan winced when a trooper smacked him on the back of the head.

"Oh, you will answer his questions," The creature sneered. "Or your friends will die. Simple as that."

It turned to Tarkin. "Let's get this interrogation over and done with. Activate the holo-spider."

A droid came forwards, and a hologram flickered into life, revealing Palpatine in his hooded robe.

A smirk appeared as he surveyed the Jedi before him, and he said._ "Well, well, well. What have we here?"_

"We have the Jedi here, particularly the one that you wish to question," The figure said, before grabbing Obi-Wan by the hair and pulling him up so that Palpatine could see him. "About the Hope."

_"Indeed,"_ Palpatine bent down so that his hologram face was inches away from Obi-Wan. _"And if you don't tell me where it is now, I will resolve to torturing you until I get the location torn from your throat."_

"I don't know what you're talking about," Obi-Wan said, but a hint of fear rose into his voice.

_"Oh, so there isn't a little child called Luke Skywalker hiding on Tatooine?"_ Palpatine sneered. _"All I need is for you to confirm it, and then that little boy will be dead by tomorrow."_

Obi-Wan's eyes widened, and Palpatine looked up._ "Take him to the torture chamber; I shall personally over-see his torture. I want to hear his voice scream the location high into the rafters, and confirm that the Jedi's Last Hope lives on Tatooine."_

The figure dragged Obi-Wan out, while Bultar yelled for him.

The spider-droid followed, Palpatine's hologram still activated. Before he left, Palpatine turned to Tarkin, and said.

_"As for the other Jedi... Kill them."_

Tarkin nodded, and when the door closed behind Palpatine, the troopers aimed at the three Jedi before them.

And fired.


	32. Part II, Chaper 16

**Well, it's only been a day, but I managed to type this within an hour. _An hour!_ Wow you say, Fallen's block is definitely gone!**

**Too right! :)**

**Please review!**

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><p><em>THE REBELLION OF KAMINO<em>

Obi-Wan was strapped down onto a table, his boots and outer tunic removed as his wrists and ankles were bound tightly to prevent him moving, his wrists double bounded to stop him from using the Force with a flick of his wrist. Keeping himself calm as possible, Obi-Wan stared straight at the ceiling, as the figure moved towards him from the shadow, leaning towards the Jedi's face, and watching as a pulsing of his vein in the throat quickened, before smirking down at him.

"They say that to break a Jedi, they are assaulted with every bad memory, every single bit of pain that they had inflicted on their enemies before, finally, they break," He whispered. "I don't like serving Palpatine, but if it helps me stay alive, then who am I to complain?"

He sighed heavily. "Jedi, I honestly don't wish to do this, but I must obey Palpatine at all costs. I am not sorry."

The figure turned towards a control panel and flicked it into life, before taking a band from the top, connected to wires of the control panel. Carefully, he placed it around the Jedi's head, before activating it. Obi-Wan felt something tingle, and then a massive numbness that slowly engulfed his spine, making him shudder as the device worked into his mind, feeding into his memories and trying to bring them to the surface.

Quickly, he shut his shields in, trying to block the advance of the device, and gritted his teeth as the fight went up a notch. He would not let the technology win, he would not let them find out about Luke!

"I don't care... If you break my back... I won't tell you where he is!" Obi-Wan yelled at the top of his voice.

"Then I have no choice," The figure said sadly, before increasing the intensity.

The probing increased and Obi-Wan yelled as it hammered at the shields that augmented his mind, his very core, and broke slightly at the centre. Tossing, Obi-Wan struggled to keep control, his body soon being coated with sweat and yelled for them to stop, to leave him alone. The figure appeared and he felt his sharp nails grip his arms, stopping him from struggling and digging into his skin, causing blood to slowly trickle down Obi-Wan's arm.

_"Tell me Kenobi..."_ Palpatine cooed from the shadows._ "Tell me... Confirm who the Hope is... Tell me!"_

"I WON'T!" Obi-Wan yelled. "I WON'T SAY!"

The figure growled, and grabbed a knife from his belt, placing it against Obi-Wan's already injured hand. "Tell me!"

The Jedi glared and shook his head, the sweat falling in gallons, panting as the device picked at his mind- his memories- making flashes filter before his eyes. Sometimes, he would see the child versions of his friends flicker and die before him, another time, he would see memories of the Clone Wars, his duel with Vader, and holding Padme when she died...

A baby came to his vision.

_No! Block it out... Don't confirm it!_

"Tell me Jedi," The figure said seductively. "Who. Is. The. Hope?"

Obi-Wan kicked out at him, managing to loosen his leg bindings enough to move his body away from the figure and nearly onto the floor as the bindings stretched to maximum. The figure growled and grabbed the back of Obi-Wan's shirt, ramming him against the table and making it creak at the force, the Jedi stunned slightly as he landed hard. Now, he felt the device increase its probing, the figure growling and demanding for Obi-Wan to tell him what he knew; whether Luke was the Hope, what his destiny was, and more importantly, where he was located.

_"I know he is on Tatooine," _Palpatine's voice sounded again._ "I just need you to confirm where he is. I'll be back in an hour Alcarez; make sure you have him talk by then. Do anything possible."_

The hologram flickered and died, leaving the pair in darkness.

Alcarez sighed near Obi-Wan, and then his voice sounded once again. "I grow tired of this, Kenobi. Time to let you burn; fire usually gets a Jedi to talk."

Obi-Wan felt his bindings tighten, and then a hiss, as flames rose around him. Squirming to try and get away from the heat, Obi-Wan hissed as his hands singed a bit, and his hair was caught slightly in the flames near his head. Gritting his teeth, Obi-Wan focused and the flames died down slightly, as the Force worked to close the shutters that had opened to reveal the flames, only to find an opposing energy try and stop him. With his body weakened and starved due to the mental trauma, Obi-Wan was now struggling to fight on two fronts; his mind and his body.

The device brought forth more vivid memories, and the flames were continuing to burn his skin and hair, his clothes becoming black as a result. He closed his eyes and drew on his inner energy, bringing forth his hidden strength that even Anakin never knew about, causing the bindings to creak and ready to snap, the shutters to creak close on some parts of the fire pits...

Then, the device broke through, and he yelled loudly at the assault now on his mind.

"Tell me," Alcarez whispered. "Who is the Hope?"

Obi-Wan could feel his jaw working, ready to tell, and struggled to stop himself as his shields shattered and his defences finally crumbled in his exhausted body.

It was no use now; Alcarez had won. Palpatine had won.

"Luke..." He managed to croak. "Luke Skywalker. Son of Anakin Skywalker."

Ooo

The shots would have struck, but a sudden explosion of glass caused the troopers to dive to the side and shield themselves as the ship crashed in. The three Jedi had thrown themselves down as well, before gazing up in shock to see the two Alderaanians through the screen, and a side door- fire exit no doubt- opened to reveal Sara.

The ship sparked and powered off, as the two Alderaanians leapt out once they blasted the screen, pistols continuously illuminated at the barrel as they fired at any Storm-trooper in their path, Sara's light-sabres aiding their fight. Rushing to the other Jedi, Sara summoned their light-sabres and tossed them to their owners, watching Tarkin rush out with a couple of his henchmen.

Gritting her teeth, Sara turned to Bultar and said. "We need to free the Kaminoians."

"I agree," She said. "But where are they?"

"We scanned the area," Achilles said, coming to duck with them behind their counter, gazing over at the still firing troopers. "There's a large concentration of life around about the eighth floor and ninth; or rather at the base of this tower."

"Right. If we free them, we have equal grounds," Bultar said. "Sara and I can do that. Can you hold them here?"

"We can do our best," Tsui answered. "But hurry; we don't know how far ahead Garen and Ferus are with planting their explosives."

"They won't detonate until they are sure we're clear," Vos said. "Or they get the order from Obi-Wan's comm.."

"Where is his comm.?" Sara asked.

"Last we saw, it was on his belt... Which was confiscated by... KRIFF!" Vos clenched his fists. "Tarkin confiscated our belts! It's on his belt!"

"Right," Sara said with a growl. "I'll go and get Tarkin before he realises what is on that belt, while Bultar goes to free the natives."

"I can't do this alone," Bultar said. "Not in my state."

"I'll go," Achilles said, before peeking over to fire at the troopers. "The others can cover us as we run."

"Okay," Bultar said. "That works."

She heaved a sigh, and readied herself to run, Sara and Achilles bracing themselves as the other Alderaanian and the remaining two Jedi gathered themselves, before leaping out and attacking the troopers near them.

The distraction worked, as Sara, Bultar and Achilles ran without any fire soaring in their direction, the screams of dying troopers echoing as they rushed to the elevator, diving in and heading downwards to the base of the tower. Holding their weapons tightly, the trio glared at the doors, waiting for them to slide open and reveal the possibly numerous opponents to emerge in a crowd of white.

When they did open, all they saw was Tarkin and his men at the end of the corridor, before they peered back and saw the three. Feeling anger rise, Sara ran straight for him, the henchmen coming to meet her as Achilles fired at the pair, the laser shots striking in mid-air, while Bultar disappeared down the left corridor, soon followed by Achilles.

"TARKIN!" Sara yelled at him. "FACE ME YOU COWARD!"

"Only a coward remains when victory is futile," He retorted, and the henchmen leapt for Sara, only to be sliced in half by her light-sabre.

Heaving a large sigh, Sara continued running after Tarkin, praying that Bultar would be alright and free the slaves.

Ooo

Bultar and Achilles entered the corridor to the ninth floor, which was crawling with Storm-troopers. However, that didn't stop the Jedi and the experienced Alderaanian; within minutes, the troopers were dead, and Bultar swung her light-sabre continuously at every door, causing the locks to over-ride and open the doors automatically.

Achilles tossed a rifle to a soldier, and said. "We're here to help free Kamino; take these rifles and help me and the Jedi free your people!"

"We're with you Jedi!" The soldier called back, and the tall, long necked swarm followed Bultar and Achilles, armed with the dead troopers' rifles, and continued the slaughter down the corridor, those unarmed helping to free the imprisoned inside.

Bultar sensed massive pain from nearby, and froze, almost being knocked down by a native.

"Obi-Wan," She whispered. "Hold on. I'm coming!"

She turned to Achilles, and called. "Lead them to the eighth floor and help free the rest of them; try and over-run the troopers on this main building and then get them to evacuate; if Garen and Ferus get told to detonate the bombs, then this whole place will go up in flames!"

"What about you?" Achilles demanded.

"I can sense Obi-Wan," Bultar said. "He's nearby, but faltering. I have to help him; contact the others in the command centre and tell them to meet you here and then me and Obi-Wan will meet you at the platform. GO!"

The Alderaanian nodded and rushed off with the natives, before Bultar turned to follow the pain in the Force.

_I only hope he's not dying in there! I'm coming Obi-Wan!_

Ooo

Alcarez stared down at the Jedi before him, shock on his face.

There was a half-smile on Obi-Wan's face, his expression light and full of hope. The creature didn't understand it! The Jedi was smiling at the fact he had just divulged the most important information that could spell death for his religion and the Galaxy?

"Tell me more, Jedi," Alcarez whispered; he found this interesting!

"Luke... I sensed much strength in him," Obi-Wan whispered. "More powerful than even Yoda himself, maybe even Anakin. He is the Hope; I have foreseen it Alcarez. His strength flows in the Force, possibly- or even will - make him the greatest Jedi that had ever existed in the history of the Republic."

He paused to take breath. "I see now... I can see what will happen. Luke Skywalker is the Hope that had once been envisioned by the Jedi of Old thousands of years ago; he was mentioned in many books as the Light of the Force. No matter how tempted he will be, Luke will remain on the light, always serving it, always consuming the Darkness in defeat, banishing it further and further each time. When his Father fell, it was now for Luke to take up the helm."

"The helm of the Chosen One?" Alcarez sneered.

"No; he will aid the Chosen One," Obi-Wan managed to say; his voice was breaking. "And in his last breath, Anakin Skywalker will return to the Light, and Luke's journey will be complete. Palpatine can kill all of us, Alcarez, but I can see now; it won't matter if we- the Jedi- die, and join in the Force. For that is my ally, the ally of the Jedi; it is always in motion, and as we die, it will guide Luke Skywalker to fulfil his destiny."

"Which is to, what, exactly?" Alcarez demanded.

"To lead the Order. To return the Republic. To bring peace between both Jedi and Sith," Obi-Wan whispered. "He will bring an alliance between Jedi and Sith to take down a great evil, and save the Galaxy. Luke Skywalker will unite the Republic, Imperials, Sith and Jedi with two words."

_A red haired Woman, green eyed... Staring up at his sky blue orbs, greying blonde hair styled for the ceremony._

_Together, they sealed the crystal, and both whispered. "I do."_

_And thus, the Imperials and Republic were joined, a Jedi and Former-Sith wedded that very day._

Obi-Wan felt the vision fade, and his breathing became shallow.

"Palpatine won't find him... He's hidden where Anakin won't dare to look for him."

"I'm sure Palpatine would want to know that," Alcarez said. "I will tell him, shall I?"

He wandered to the comm. centre, and sent a typed message. "There we go. Saves me having the bother of talking to that gnarled faced man. Anyway."

Alcarez returned to Obi-Wan's side, and pushed his chin back, exposing his throat. "Now I have the information, there will be no need for you to live, Jedi."

Then he leaned forwards to whisper into Obi-Wan's ear. "And don't worry. I'll make sure Palpatine gives the boy a quick and painless death."

He drew a knife, and placed it against Obi-Wan's throat, ready to kill the Jedi in one move...

When a light-sabre hissed and was thrusted through Alcarez's chest, the creature screaming before falling to the ground.

Obi-Wan released a shaky breath, hearing the light-sabre slice his bonds and relaxed on the table, his vision slowly returning as the head-band was torn off his head.

And a familiar face appeared above him.

Bultar smiled, and said. "Hello Obi-Wan. Fancy meeting you here, eh?"

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><p><strong>Ooooo! Well, I must say. Luke has many destinies that await him!<strong>


	33. Part II, Chapter 17

**Well, here's the third last chapter of Forbidden love! I hope you have enjoyed this so far; it has been a joy to write, and I am looking forward to the third one!**

**If I do not update this weekend, I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas! :)**

**Now please leave that all important review!**

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><p><em>ESCAPING KAMINO<em>

"The natives have turned on us," Tarkin said to the hologram of Vader. "And are ready to over-run the City here. I need reinforcements Lord Vader, to not arrest the natives, but to exterminate the Jedi and Cloners; we cannot let them fall into the wrong hands, particularly the Jedi."

Vader's respirator sounded for a while, and then he said, _"I will send a small fleet to Kamino; it will bomb the City and destroy the Jedi and the natives, as well as the original DNA samples that formed the Clones. All the new-borns that have not yet seen the War and blood-shed are now a risk to us; they do not know that the Jedi are the enemies yet, as we have not told them the Order. They could turn on us, and join the Jedi."_

Tarkin nodded. "I'll send the code for the extermination of the Clones through the others; they will kill the new-borns."

_"Good,"_ Vader said._ "The fleet will arrive to bomb the capital within a few hours. I suggest you leave here immediately, and leave some sort of trace to make sure that they are fooled, and won't find you for a while."_

Tarkin nodded and disconnected, before turning and rushed through the corridor towards where the remaining squads of Storm-troopers were standing ready to attack should the natives, Jedi and the two Alderaanians appear to attack them. Activating the doors, and rushing in, Tarkin headed towards his officers, and gathered them close.

"We have orders from Lord Vader to destroy the new-born Clones," He whispered. "In case they fall into Jedi hands."

"How?" One officer asked. "How are we going to get the Clones to attack their own?"

"I have the code," Tarkin said. "We just need to tell them it; they are under a spell, and as a result will obey only us, and not the Jedi."

He turned to a commander nearby, and said. "You, Clone!"

The commander walked towards him, and the others diverted their attention from the others and turned towards Tarkin, as the Captain addressed the whole squadrons.

"I have received orders from Lord Vader," He announced. "As well as Order 66 being initiated recently- stating Jedi are enemies- we are to initiate a new Order. If you disobey, Lord Vader will kill any Clone that does so without hesitation when he arrives, so I suggest you do as he says. The new-borns have turned on you and are planning to aid the Jedi in their plight."

The Clones stared at one another, before the commander said, "We will injure our brothers, but not kill them; that is against our code."

"You are nothing but Clones- copies of a dead man," Tarkin retorted. "Once you have done your duty, you will be forced to go into the incinerator. I suggest you spare your brothers' the same fate and make sure they die peacefully as possible."

The commander looked down at the ground for a moment, and then up, nodding vigorously. "We will do as you say."

"Good," Tarkin said. "Make sure to clear a path to the landing platform for me and the officers."

"Yes, Captain Tarkin," The commander said quietly, and barked out orders to the rest of the Clones, who immediately rushed off into the corridors to face the freedom fighters of Kamino, and any Jedi that were in their way.

Tarkin turned to the remainder, as they grudgingly followed and heaved a sigh of relief, before turning to the officers and the guards assigned to them. "It's time for us to get moving."

"Are you sure they can manage this?" An officer piped up. "You never know how they would act towards us once they discuss it."

"The Clones are inferior," Tarkin retorted. "What I said was true- it would be a good mercy for them to be shot down rather than incinerated when they were no longer needed. Now, come; it is time for us to depart from this command centre and head for the platform. Lord Vader's dispatched fleet will be arriving within an hour, and we had better make sure we're not around when the bombs start dropping."

The officers nodded, and left first, their guards keeping alert at all times, but Tarkin remained for a moment, gazing around the command centre, before walking towards a control panel. Tracing his fingers over it, he pressed a button and a disc was ejected, which he took and checked over quickly.

Should this fall into enemy hands, the Empire would be in trouble.

Heaving a sigh, he pocketed the disc in a pocket on his chest, and checked his pistol was secured on his belt before turning to the belts of the Jedi he had confiscated from, before frowning. Carefully, he lifted up each and deposited them into the shadows of the control panels they once rested on, invisible to their eyes now, and turned to head out of the command centre.

Only to find someone at the door.

"Ah, Sara," Tarkin sneered. "Took you long enough my dear."

The female Jedi took a step forwards. "I know, but I'm here now. And I intend to arrest you for betraying the Republic."

"You _intend_ to arrest me?" Tarkin repeated. "My dear girl, do think clearly! This whole floor is crawling with Clones, and as soon as I-."

"You'll what?" Sara interrupted. "The Clones are gone, along with your guard. You are up here alone Tarkin."

Tarkin chuckled. "Alone, my dear? Do remember that I was trained in methods to combat your kind by Lord Vader; he was very persistent in me learning how to defeat a Jedi."

"Alright then," Sara came to stand a few feet further in. "Let's see how you handle one then. A fully trained Jedi."

Tarkin smirked. "I am more than a match for you, my dear."

He reached behind him, and pushed a button before Sara could act; her feet ignited in electricity, and she screamed, writhing as she fell to the ground and fell unconscious. Heaving a sigh, Tarkin lifted his finger from the button, and walked towards her, taking her light-sabres and throwing them away, before grabbing her wrists, tying them up before dragging her towards a window.

Ooo

Obi-Wan and Bultar ran through the corridors as fast as they could, heading towards where they could hear the sounds of battle, screams of pain or death and the loud hums of light-sabres as the Jedi there fought back. Veering down a corridor on the right, Obi-Wan activated the comm. that Bultar had given him, and tried to contact Garen; he needed to tell him to hold off the detonation of the explosives and let them make sure that they were clear of the main body of the City before anything else.

Igniting the stolen light-sabre he had taken from Alcarez's body- after his was taken by Tarkin- Obi-Wan scowled at the crimson blade, but kept running, seeing the swarm of white-clad Men ahead, their backs to them, and heard the hiss of Bultar's light-sabre as she ignited her own, before they leapt into the air and landed on the Storm-troopers.

With a yell, one was sliced in half by the crimson blade that Obi-Wan now possessed, and the surprised yell alerted his comrades around him to jump around and fire at Bultar and Obi-Wan, who were now surrounded by them and parrying their blaster fire back at the troopers, half of them now diverted from the natives that fired upon then.

"COME ON!" A familiar voice sounded.

Tsui erupted from the barricades the natives had set up, and landed amongst the white-armoured troopers, his 'sabre continuously moving as he sliced both legs and arms as he moved towards the two cornered Jedi, sometimes tossing some away as he went with the Force, flipping around and helping to thin the crowd of white.

Obi-Wan struck out, and gazed around at Vos as he led the remainder of the squad of natives against the Clones that had cornered them, and felt a sinking feeling in his heart.

"Bultar, where's Sara?" He demanded.

"She went after Tarkin," Was the answer.

Dread filled Obi-Wan's heart, and he ducked a shot aimed for his head, before he rushed out of the hall, ignoring the calls of the other Jedi for him to come back. Nothing else mattered right now; just Sara.

_She went after Tarkin on her own? Stupid, stupid!_

Obi-Wan increased his pace, extinguishing the crimson blade as he ran, trying to find Sara's signature in the Force, and locked onto it, heading straight towards a lift, praying to the Force that she would be alright and not injured or worse...

Ramming his hand against the top floor button, he heard the doors slam shut, and the lift pulverised its way upwards to the top of the tower. Obi-Wan closed his eyes, before he reopened them and stared out at the other numerous towers that swarmed the view, the rain getting considerably heavier each second.

Then, when the lightning flashed, he saw a sight he had hoped never to see.

A figure- a person- suspended in the air tied no doubt by their wrists, struggling slightly.

When the lightning flashed, he almost cried out in rage and fear, the two emotions coursing through his body within seconds.

It was Sara.

Ooo

When Sara woke, she found herself hanging by cuffs, which were bound to a rope and tied to something in the command centre. Above her were the storm clouds, and the flash of lightning and rumble of thunder.

Below her were the raging waters of the seas of Kamino.

Her breathing became short and stopped in her chest, as she stared down at the massive drop that would no doubt end her life; even if she used the Force to slow her descent, she would struggle to swim in the raging waters, and would definitely drown. Closing her eyes, Sara took some steady breaths before looking skywards, gasping as she saw Tarkin appear above her.

"How does it feel Jedi?" She managed to hear him shout down at her. "How does it feel to face something that your magnificent Force would not help you survive?"

Sara couldn't answer; her breathing was loud and made it difficult for her to speak. Finally, she mustered up the courage to talk, and gasped. "Tarkin... Please, let me up!"

"Why should I?" He laughed humourlessly. "If I kill you, one less Jedi to worry about!"

Sara felt panic grip her chest, and then something else; the Force was telling her help was coming, that he was coming to save her.

And true enough, she heard the sound of a light-sabre being ignited, and Tarkin yell. "KENOBI!"

Sara closed her eyes, and braced herself for the fall she would experience.

Ooo

"If I were you," Obi-Wan sounded. "I would let her come up. Pull her up Tarkin, or I will make sure you're the one that ends up falling!"

"You realise that I only need to shoot and the wire snaps?" Tarkin argued, surveying the red-haired Jedi. "Then you'll have to make a choice; let her die or capture me. It's up to you."

Obi-Wan glared, before spotting his utility belt glittering in the shadows. Summoning it to his hand and tying it back around his waist, he drew his other light-sabre, warmth spreading through his hand as the weapon somehow breathed a sigh of relief to returning to its owner. Gazing up, Obi-Wan ignited his 'sabre, and said. "Tarkin. Please, pull her up, or the next move you make will result in a light-sabre through your chest!"

Tarkin froze, and drew his pistol. "So be it, Jedi."

He fired at the wire, and Obi-Wan heard Sara scream, the wire twang for a second and then snapping. But something else snapped- inside of him.

A deep seeded anger rose, and Obi-Wan ran straight for Tarkin, both light-sabres ignited and ready. With one swipe, the crimson bladed 'sabre struck Tarkin in the chest, making the older Man gasp for a second, and then Obi-Wan jumped from the shattered window, falling with Sara many feet below him.

Another body fell, and Tarkin moved past him, falling to the raging depths below, but Obi-Wan had eyes only for Sara, extinguishing his light-sabre and reaching forwards, before pulling his hands back, using the Force to accelerate his movements through the air, the wind and rain slapping against his face and hair, closing the distance between him and Sara...

And grabbed her sleeve, pulling her close to his body.

"I'm sorry Obi-Wan," She whispered, both tears and rain drops on her cheeks.

"Don't apologize," He whispered. "Just hold onto me."

Sara wrapped her arms around him, and Obi-Wan used the Force quickly to protect them when they fell into the water, to stop any broken bones or any chances of them even dying. Closing his eyes, Obi-Wan willed himself to hold on, until the cold water finally swarmed around them, gushing into their lungs and soaking them right through.

Grabbing a hold of Sara's tunic, Obi-Wan kicked up towards the surface, breaking through with her, the rushing current almost dragging them back down below the surface. Keeping close of Sara, Obi-Wan was pulled back under, trying to keep her above the water, when it finally took its toll on his exhausted body, and they were pulled under.

Sara grabbed hold of Obi-Wan's arms, trying to pull him back up, worry on her features as she stared down at him, before pressing her lips against his, pushing her air back into his lungs.

It was too late, and Obi-Wan felt his vision fade, Sara's grip was slacking on his arms as her own strength failed, and the pair began their slow descend to the bottom of the ocean.

Then, Obi-Wan felt someone's strong grip on his arm, and he was pulled up, coughing and spluttering as his rescuer dragged him through the water, another dragging Sara with them towards a platform nearby, and laid on top. Staring up, Obi-Wan smiled at Garen as he stared down at them.

"Good. You're awake, 'cause we're in trouble," He said, dragging him up, while Ferus helped Sara up as well. "Bultar says that the natives have tracked a massive fleet coming towards Kamino; we need to go. Now."

Obi-Wan nodded, breathless, and the four ran as fast as they could up towards a platform.

Ooo

"Lord Vader," An officer said, approaching the tall, black clothed Cyborg. "We are approaching Kamino, and the boarding crew are ready to depart."

"Very good," Vader said, walking towards the hangar. "I shall depart with them. Prepare the bombers; we will bring the capital City down."

The officer nodded, before a beeping sounded. "Lord Vader, that is the Imperial Shuttle's code; they have left the planet, and are commanding us to go on down to the surface."

Vader just nodded, and the Cyborg headed through to the hangar, nodding at his squad as the shuttle for his descend was prepared, boarding it and settling down, the troopers entering their own gunships and escorting his shuttle down to the surface of Kamino. In the distance, Vader saw the Imperial shuttle coming from the planet pass by, and thought for a moment that something was wrong, only to shake it off and look out the window to see that they had already passed through the atmosphere and were heading down towards the capital City.

When the ramp descended, Vader walked down first, before being followed by his troopers, and stared around at the empty platform, littered with bodies of troopers and the natives, before spotting a figure kneeling a few feet away. Frowing behind his mask, Vader approached him, and saw that it was Imperial officer, shivering violently, and arms behind his back and gagged.

Reaching down, Vader ripped the tape from his mouth, and demanded. "Why aren't you in the shuttle?"

"Lord... Vader... They ambushed... Us..." The Officer stammered. "And... Took the shuttle..."

Vader froze, and turned and barked to the trooper. "Contact the fleet! Tell them to blast the shuttle out of the sky!"

The trooper fumbled for a comm. link, and Vader turned to the officer. "Get up."

The officer shook his head, and his shaking increased, causing the front of his uniform to open at the chest, and reveal a belt of some kind. Vader's frown deepened and he moved the flap of fabric to the side, to reveal a detonator, a timer on the side, counting down.

It was already at five seconds.

"GET DOWN!" Vader roared, and threw himself for cover.

The timer struck zero.

The explosions rang through the City, the whole structure shaking as buildings and pillars fell, magnificent structures falling into the sea, and rubble falling on Vader and his men. Those that survived rushed towards the shuttle, some screaming down comm. links to fetch a medical ship and halt the bombers' advances. Smoke gushed from fires that were formed, and cracks appeared on the platform that they stood on, buckling with the weight of rubble on it.

The troopers ran to the rubble, scrambling through it and trying to find survivors.

A metal hand erupted from the rubble, golden metal reflecting in the light, black leather and cloth still latched to it, before it closed into a fist.

The anger Darth Vader felt caused the rubble to fly off him in a surge more powerful than anything ever felt, and the Cyborg got up, his suit ripped, cybernetics sparking violently, but the Sith was still alive.

Turning to a trooper as he hesitantly approaching, Vader snarled. "I want that shuttle found, and blasted out of the sky. Do not rest until you find every last stinking Jedi and wipe them off the face of the Universe!"

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><p><strong>Is it just me, or does Vader sometimes need anger management classes? I sometimes think that lol.<strong>


	34. Part II, Chapter 18

**Well, I was originally going to write a chapter before this one, but I couldn't find a way to fill it up. So now, this is the last chapter, and I only hope you enjoy this ending.**

**Please remember to leave that important review! Merry Christmas!**

**Part Three will be up in a week or so, and will be called...**

**The Rise of the Rebellion.**

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><p><em>THE INFANT GRAND MASTER<em>

A tremor in the Force was all Palpatine needed now.

His colossal cruiser had embarked him off of Coruscant and towards Tatooine, where he was soon greeted onboard by his new-found Admiral, who introduced a spy that he had positioned on Tatooine (in fact, every planet that was habited had spies on to help locate Jedi that had escaped) and they had kept a close eye on the Family that the Child was with.

It was now confirmed; Obi-Wan Kenobi had taken a Child to the Lars Homestead- out in the desert. The Lars Family was Anakin Skywalker's step-family, and now it was clear; it would be wise to take any offspring of Anakin's to his Family, where they would be raised in secrecy and protected from everyone.

Soon, he was on a shuttle, bearing him down towards the planet.

Night had fallen over this part of Tatooine.

The Storm-troopers crowded together on the high-security platform on Mos Eisley, their rifles shouldered and ready to salute the important figure that was ready to emerge from the shuttle that had landed. Security checks were made to ensure that the Emperor would not be harmed, or worse, assassinated.

They needn't have worried; Palpatine knew that the assassin(s) would never dare try to attack him, and as he departed the shuttle, he smiled at the speeder that was waiting for him, and carefully entered into its armoured shell. Troopers on speeder bikes appeared next to the armoured vehicle, alert and ready for any signs of trouble as the massive speeder moved away from the platform and out into the streets.

They were cleared due to the early hours of the morning, with only a few areas open for the drunken to roam freely without fear. The Emperor snorted as he saw a couple of individuals stagger out of one cantina and onto the ground, fighting over a dancer who was in shock.

_Vader was right. This dust ball is a complete waste; once Death Star is finished, I'll blast the planet into dust, and rid ourselves of the scum that roam this world._

He sighed.

_Even better; if they are alerted to my presence here, and I fail to kill the Child. Should they not leave, I will blast the Jedi's hope right out of the sky. And I will enjoy it completely!_

They left the mud houses and out towards the Dune sea- nothing but sand greeted them. Palpatine fingered the knife he had tied to his belt, hidden under the folds of his cloak. Once, he would have thought about taking the Child and teaching it the Dark Side, but now, after all the visions he had been having, maybe it was best that he tried to kill the infant before he began a massive threat to the Sith.

His eyes found the speeder bikes that were still accompanying his speeder, and smirked. Even if they somehow managed to escape his clutches, they still had the speeder bikes to contend with; they were fast, brutal and anyone on the run from them would die from exhaustion. Tearing his eyes away from the speeders, he stared up at the star-lit sky, and soon began to notice tall antennae like machines in the sand, Droids attending to them, and raised an eyebrow.

The Child was being raised on a farm?

Since when was this customary for Jedi to hide any children on a planet where violence and murders reigned supreme? Although, the massive burst of life-forces and death would shield the Child from Palpatine's gaze, and therefore be undetected, particularly if they were this far into the outer rim.

"My lord, we are arriving at Lars Homestead within ten minutes," The Driver said.

"Send the speeders ahead to apprehend the individuals inside," Palpatine ordered. "Let none escape."

"Yes my lord," The Driver began speaking into his comm. link, and then the speeders increased their speed and moved ahead of the armoured vehicle. A smirk threatened to break free on Palpatine's features, and he could barely control his laughter.

Ooo

The small Droid watched as the vehicles passed, heading to his Master's farm. They were all heavily armoured, and that made it suspicious over the intent of the individuals that were heading in that direction.

Turning its domed head, he activated the holo-communicator, and began chirping a warning into its depths, secretly praying that the Lars would get his message and act immediately.

Ooo

Owen Lars was just waking up for his early morning shift on the farm, when he felt the tug of his hand by a pair of smaller ones. Raising his head sleeping, Owen smiled at the baby that was beaming up at him; he must have had a distressing dream once again, and Beru had brought the youngster into their room for Luke to have some company.

He gently stroked the soft skin of the fingers clenching his hand, and prised his hand away from the baby, carefully getting up.

"Up you come little one," He said gruffily; his voice was starting to suffer from the effects of the sand, and no matter how hard he tried, he could not sort the now rough tone to a comforting one so that Luke would feel more at comfort around him. The baby whimpered as was lifted, and Owen held him tightly, balancing the baby against his chest.

Luke began gurgling, his soft feathery blonde hair tickling Owen's neck as he walked towards the nursery, the small hand resting on his chest clenching the shirt that Owen wore. Carefully placing the baby back down in his cot, Owen placed the blanket over him, watching as the infant kicked out and giggled.

"He's beautiful, isn't he?"

Owen gazed around at Beru, and smiled. "Indeed he is. But he looks like..."

His voice faltered, and Beru embraced him from behind. "Time to move on Owen. Alright?"

Owen sighed heavily, and turned in her grip. "I agree. Now, I am going to go out and check the evaporators here, before getting changed and starting the day."

"I'll sit with Luke for a moment, just until he settles," Beru said. "Go on Owen."

Owen kissed her gently, before heading outside.

The Tatooine night was still a bit bitter on his skin, but bright lights were starting to appear...

Wait, it was still night, _wasn't it?_

He stared up and gasped as he saw Imperial speeders pull up on the ledge over the courtyard to the home, and immediately ran to the front door when it was knocked. Hesitantly, he opened it to reveal a heavily armed Trooper, flanked by two others, and said. "What time do you call this?"

"We are here for the boy. Hand him over."

Dread filled Owen's body. "Boy?"

"Yes Man," The Trooper said. "Give us the boy."

"I don't think I will," Owen said coldly. "He's staying here."

"We're not asking, we're _telling_ you," The Trooper said hotly, and made to enter.

Owen slammed the door in his face and activated the security locks, running back down the stairs and to his workshop.

"Owen?"

He turned to see Beru, looking at him in worry and fear. The sounds of the Trooper barking orders emitted through the open courtyard, and he knew that they were incredibly vulnerable there, but he needed to get Luke to safety.

"They've come for him, Beru," He said, finding his rifle. "Get to Luke, and when I give the word, you take him and run."

"Owen..." She started.

"No, don't argue with me!" Owen loaded the rifle. "Just go to Luke! I'll hold them off as long as possible!"

Beru nodded, and rushed off towards the nursery, as the Troopers began to blast the door down, their heavy feet sounding as they descended the stairs into the main area of the home.

And a cloaked figure followed from behind, staring around the area, as Owen hid behind some boxes, his rifle ready, staring at the figure as it gazed around.

"My Lord," A Trooper said. "There are at least three occupants of the home; a Man, Woman and an infant, no older than a few months old."

"Very good," The figure said. His very voice made shivers rise up through Owen's back. "Where is the infant?"

"The Woman has barricaded the entrance to the nursery," Another Trooper answered, and pointed. "Over there."

The Figure headed towards the door, and Owen saw the glitter of a metal knife as it was pulled from the belt of the individual.

"NO!" Owen yelled, and erupted from behind the boxes, firing at the Troopers.

They immediately turned their attention to him, their pistols and rifles aimed for him and ready to fire. Fear rose through Owen, but he darted behind some boxes as the blaster shots headed straight towards him, some Troopers running forwards to apprehend him.

_Come on Beru... You can do this!_

Ooo

Palpatine stared at the door, closed in his way, and glared at it.

So, Vader's family was trying to stop him from getting at the Child? Very well, he was not going to be merciful in the first place, but he now wasn't going to listen to their pleas.

"Open the door," He demanded. "Or I will blast it down myself."

He could sense the fear of the Woman inside, and smirked, before gathering the Force into his hands, and blasting the door open.

Palpatine entered, and gazed around the room.

There were a few toys littered on the ground, mostly soft animals or blocks. There was a rocking chair in one corner, and a bookcase with Children's books was next to it, along with some cleaned bottles for milk, with a few boxes of diapers for the youngster.

His eyes found the cot in the back of the room, a home-made mobile hovering over a bulging blanket, which slowly rose and fell with each breath of the infant underneath. A smirk morphed on his features, and Palpatine approached it, seeing the infant's features emerge the closer he got.

A mop of curly blonde hair, tanned skin and a "pretty boy" face, no doubt inherited from the mother's side. His chin had the cleft that Anakin had, and his Father's hairline was present.

He had hesitated enough, and raised the knife to kill him.

"Every little Boy ends up being a Hero, Luke Skywalker. But not you; you shall die before you can even walk and talk, before you are trained as a Jedi, and defeat me.

"Before you become Grand Master and thus unstoppable!"

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" A Woman screamed from behind him, and something smashed on Palpatine's head, making him collapse as her body collided with his own. He blinked a few times, and glared up to see a brunette Woman grab the baby, holding him close to her as it began wailing loudly, her eyes finding Palpatine's red own.

Within seconds, she ran out the room and into the courtyard, Palpatine getting up and followed.

"BERU!" The Man yelled. "RUN! JUST TAKE THE SPEEDER AND RUN!"

Palpatine flung the knife at the Woman and infant, using the Force to aim it directly for the infant's undefended back, only to have it fly past her as she ran towards the steps, and strike the wall. Frustration threatened to make him blast everyone out his way, and he ran after her, only to hear the massive security clogs seal the door behind her. Lazily, Palpatine waved his hand and the clogs fell off, before the door keeled over and he walked out.

The Woman was at the speeder; the infant secured in the seat, and was starting it up.

"STOP!" Palpatine yelled, and unleashed a torrent of lightning, which streaked its way towards the speeder. If he aimed true, he would strike the fuel line and ignite the speeder...

A blaster shot struck his outstretched arm, and he reeled back, turning to glare at the Farmer down in the courtyard. Soon, he was grabbed by some Troopers, and the rifle was wrestled from his grip.

Palpatine turned to finish the job, only to see the speeder fly off, and yelled in rage.

His fists curled, and he turned towards the courtyard.

"You, Owen Lars, are to be sentenced to immediate death!" He yelled. "Commander, burn this pit to the ground! Put out a wanted note for that Man's wife, with an award to bring her and the Child to me! Find them! DON'T REST UNTIL YOU DO SO!"

"NO!" Owen yelled. "Leave them alone!"

Palpatine didn't care about him, even as the Trooper behind the Farmer raised his pistol and aimed it against Owen's forehead. Turning away, Palpatine heard the shot, and felt the life leave the Man behind, before the smell of petrol wafted into his nostrils and the strike of a match sounded.

Strolling towards his armoured speeder, Palpatine heard the crackle of flames as the home behind him burned.

_I'll get you Luke Skywalker. I'll find you and make sure you die!_


	35. Part III, Chapter 1

**Well, here is the next part! Along with its own summary for you! :)**

**Please leave that important review!**

_Summary for part Three: The Rebellion is starting up, but for the Jedi, they need to make a choice; destroy the very Republic they had modelled which still exists under the Empire, or take it down, piece by piece. _

_Divided and confuse, the Jedi are unsure what course of action to take, as their lives slowly crumble once again._

_There is only one being that can help unite the Jedi once more, and strengthen their chances of defeating the Sith._

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><p><em>BOOK THREE: RISE OF THE REBELLION<em>

_ON THE RUN_

Felucia.

Named to one of the most lush planets in the Galaxy on the outer rim so full of life in both flora and fauna, that it seemed difficult for the Empire to even have a grip on the planet without the native species attacking their very operations, and where the Force dwelled strong as a result of its large mass of life.

For two individuals, this was their home, a place for them to hide away and train with the natives, allowing their fear of them being discovered and killed by the Empire to disappear until it was time for them to be found once again. As they sat on top of a large mushroom- the younger sitting before the elder, hands clenching her crossed legs- they remained as still as possible, the Force delivering them its wishes- it's very will- to them via whispers and pulses.

Both were female, but completely different species. One had pale skin- close to that of Humans- but her head was adorned with many small horns, sharp in appearance, and dark hair that was tied around her head to make sure it didn't affect her vision. She wore a dark crop top and torn trousers, with her wrists enclosed by leather bands, while the other wore simple rags made from what had remained of her attire, leather straps around the blood-red skin.

The elder female had two large white ovals over her face, and what was intimidating about her was the large pair of curved horns that rose above her head, and three long tails flowed down from them over her shoulders and down her back, white and blue rings circling the very structures, from the tip of the tails to the top of the horns. When her blue lips opened, her sharp canines were revealed, showing that not only was she intimidating.

She was maybe even deadly.

"Marris," Her voice sounded. "You are not concentrating."

The one with pale skin shifted and opened her eyes, revealing a pair of dark orbs under her lids. "I feel many disturbances in the Force, Master, and one is even telling me that we are to head to-."

"I sense it too," Jedi Master Shaak Ti answered sadly. "However, we cannot leave this planet; it is surely a trap."

"A trap Master?" Marris Brood quizzed. "I doubt it. Why would the Force tell us one thing and we should ignore that? It obviously wants us to find the other Jedi."

"Nevertheless," Shaak opened her own eyes, revealing the charcoal eyes that hid beneath. "We do not know if this is a ploy by the Sith; a trap for us to walk into. For all we know, we could be the Last."

"But the Force says otherwise!" Brood sulked at this; yes, she was just a learner, but her instincts always told her one thing, and it seemed to be right.

Most of the time.

"Please Master," Brood said firmly. "Why don't we see if we can send a message back? Somehow see if it is true?"

Shaak sighed heavily; the young Zabrak would not stop and look at the whole picture! Could she not see that there were hardly any Jedi left in existence, and it was just the pair of them? Shaak had searched and searched the Force to see if any other Jedi existed, only to get nothing; why did it suddenly show Brood this vision? Padawans tend to rush into things that they had not yet experienced, and usually ended up in trouble.

Usually, they ended up dead.

"Marris," Shaak said gently. "I believe you, but we need to be careful right now; we are too easily recognised by the Empire. I cannot risk us going off-world just in case we are seen, and killed. Please, don't make me take this decision; I can't lose you."

Brood bowed her head. "I understand Master."

"You are possibly right; that we are indeed being told that there are Jedi left and are calling for us, but we must be aware of what could happen," Shaak said. "Now, let us go and get something to eat, and then go and practice."

"Yes Master," Brood stood up, and followed Shaak as they leapt off the mushroom and onto the soft ground. There was almost no need for boots or sandals, and Shaak herself wore no shoes, as they would not last in the mud or the shrubs of the ground, but Brood still wore some kind of foot-wear occasionally as she felt better doing so; she was envious that the Togrutan moved so easily on the thin branches, exactly like a cat did, and always landed on her feet.

Deep down, Brood had a complicated mix of emotions over Order 66. When her Master left her on the outer Rim to answer a call from the Temple to return as the War was seemingly over, Brood sensed his demise through their bond, and almost rushed back in a fit of rage to avenge her fallen Master, when Shaak had found her. Dismayed at the anger the Master sensed inside the youngster, Shaak took Brood on a journey through the Outer Rim before settling on Felucia, where she began to train Brood to let go of everything that had happened, to no avail. The call to revenge was too deeply set into the youngster, and the thirst to go and kill Vader for what had occurred occasionally distracted Brood from the training that Shaak was trying to get her back into.

The natives had let them into their village, and now, they were strolling down the main street and towards the ship that Shaak had used to arrive on the planet, but with the main piece of the ship removed and hidden from Brood to stop her going off-world and seeking her revenge. The natives greeted them with happiness and joy, and the chief even showed Shaak that they had caught a grazer for the carnivorous Jedi Master to eat, and harvested edible plants for the rest of them and Brood to consume as well; the flora was rich in nutrients and helped the Jedi sustain them for a long period of time. The Jedi ate in silence, before going off to train, Brood igniting her light-sabre guards, and moving in a Kata, trying to copy the movements that Shaak herself was doing with her light-sabre, only to realise she could not do so with her light-guards, and stopped, deactivating them and moving as though she _did_ have a light-sabre.

Her breathing caught in her chest, and Brood found herself sinking into the calming depths of the Force, moving as though she were two individuals instead of one. Her unity in the Force made her feel as though she was free and full of light.

Only that didn't last.

Her eyes clouded over and she felt herself looking into a hazed vision, seeing a dark haired Woman running as fast as she could, holding a blonde haired baby that screamed loudly, chased by a group of white-clad men.

When she heard Shaak call for her, Brood yelled out and lost her balance, falling from the mushroom that they were practicing on, heading down a hundred foot drop towards the ground, which was shrouded in shrub and rocks. Reaching out, she grabbed a hold of some large coloured leaves, using their smoothened sides to slow her descend with the friction that she had faced.

Finally, she landed as gently as possible on the ground, and lay on the softness, before getting up as Shaak descended, landing expertly next to her, before rushing forwards with worry on her face.

"Marris?" She asked. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Brood answered. "But, I had a vision. There was a Woman, with a baby; she wasn't okay. She was being chased by the Clones."

Shaak's eyes widened, and she gasped. "Why?"

"I'm not sure; maybe the Woman was a Jedi?" Brood answered. "And the baby was a crechling? It would make sense; the Clones won't chase a citizen, will they?"

Shaak bit her lip. "I'm not sure."

"Master, maybe the Force is telling me something," Brood hinted. "We need to find the other Jedi, and we need to find them now; why would they send me this vision of a Woman being chased if it didn't have anything to do with them?"

Shaak hesitated, and closed her eyes. Brood could tell that she was thinking on how best to approach this vision, and if the Jedi Master would want to do nothing, then Brood would not only throw a tantrum; she would go against her wishes and leave the planet to save the Woman and go find the rest of the Jedi. She didn't care for Shaak's wishes; if Brood wanted to find the others, then she will.

"Please Master," Brood said after a moment. "I just know she needs our help; I can feel it."

Shaak sighed heavily, before opening her eyes. "The Force agrees, but I cannot let us leave just yet."

Brood resisted the urge to argue; it was best not to with Shaak Ti. There was only so much patience from the Togruta, and even they had short fuses compared to the rest of the non-human species. Bowing her head, Brood turned and said, "I understand Master."

"I know you wish to help her," Shaak said. "But we cannot risk exposure and extermination."

Brood inwardly gave a cry of frustration; that's what this was always about! Hiding away, don't leave the village without a guide, etc.

Ignoring Shaak, Brood walked back to the village, her jaw set and anger in her heart.

She was going to find a way to rescue that Woman and baby- even if it meant she died trying.

Ooo

Beru was tired, resting her head against the window of the refugee ship she was now on, Luke sleeping against her chest with his blonde hair tickling her chin. Wrapping the shawl she wore to hide her lower face from view, and bowing her head over the baby, Beru kissed the top of Luke's hair, before rubbing his back gently.

"Oh Owen," She almost sobbed quietly. "Owen, what will I do without you?"

After what had happened on Tatooine yesterday, Beru was faced with problems once she was in Mos Eisley; it seemed the Emperor had anticipated her escape, and when she left the speeder and ran, they blasted it to dust, and the result caused her to get burned on one side of her face- making her wear the shawl to hide her horrific scarring. Her eye had been caught, and she was now almost blind as a result. Her saviours were some bounty hunters that immediately opened fire from a nearby canteen to the Storm-troopers that were soon ready to surround her and Luke, rifles raised to kill them both.

A friend of hers immediately gathered her inside, tended to her and Luke's injuries, before it was decided that she and the baby were to immediately leave the planet and head for another; get off-world and away to somewhere safe.

Beru had some friends on Naboo, and was heading there as a result after contacting them. Her Tatooine friends paid for the ticket to Naboo, contacted them and now Beru was on her way towards the lush planet.

Luke sniffed against her, and Beru muttered words of comfort into his hair, gently caressing his back, before the comm. system of the ship announced that they were finally arriving at Naboo. Wrapping her shawl further over her face, and keeping her head bowed, Beru steadied Luke in her arms and got up, moving towards the exit with the rest of the passengers, pleading with the Maker that there was no Storm-troopers waiting on the platform that they had arrived at.

Raising her head, Beru stared out the ramp as it opened, and almost froze when she saw Storm-troopers on the platform, the obvious commander holding up a picture.

A picture depicting her and Luke as they escaped in the speeder was in his hand, being shown to other passengers that had left. Beru smothered Luke a bit more with her cloak, kept her head down and walked down the platform, heading towards the building, praying her luck would not run out, and that someone had not recognised her.

Unaware, a Trooper spotted her from side-on, and yelled for the squad, who ran to her immediately. Turning, Beru cried out as a blaster shot just missed her, and ran as fast as she could through the crowd, desperate to get out of the station and into the streets where she could mingle with the crowd. Trying to keep her breathing steady as she ran, Beru rushed through the crowd, hearing the Troopers following her as she moved through the streets.

Taking deep breaths, Beru rushed towards an alleyway, shrinking into the shadows as she heard the marching of the Troopers move past her hiding spot, before taking some deep breaths to calm herself, before hugging Luke tight to her chest.

"It's okay little one," She whispered. "Let's get out of here, before we are discovered."

Luke gazed up at her, and then buried his face against her shoulder. Beru backed off into the alley way, before slinking off into the busy streets of Thede.


	36. Part III, Chapter 2

**Well, here's the next update! I'll try and update more often, I promise you!**

**Please remember that important review!**

* * *

><p><em>GATHERING ARMS<em>

"_There have been reports of uprisings of many small factions of different species of inhabitants of the Galaxy, all inspired by the success of the Rebellion on Kamino. It has just been revealed that the remainder of the Jedi Order- branded as traitors by the Emperor- may have had a hand in their release."_

The reporter looked up on the holo-vision.

"_As an extra precaution, the Emperor has called that all citizens of the Empire remain vigilant and if anyone has any information of the where about of the Jedi MUST report to the nearest Clone squadron. We are also told that there are another set of individuals that are wanted and are also perceived as dangerous."_

Bail Organa scowled loudly, before turning the holo-vision off and getting up from behind his desk, walking towards the balcony that over-looked Alderaan, from the small houses to the forest in the distance, accentuating the mountains that were soon a deep purple shade, the snow now completely gone and the emerald grass popping up from under the snow in small tuffs.

Spring was on the way on this half of the planet.

Bail was glad to see it once again; after the hectic year that he had endured from meetings for the Clone Wars, the Empire and to trying to hide the remainder of the Jedi and the baby now in his care. Raising a hand and stroking his trimmed beard, Bail turned from the balcony and headed indoors, taking long strides down the corridor towards the quarters that he and Breha shared, before Leia had joined their lives. Now, a nursery was in their quarters, built especially for the baby that was now growing quickly and strongly.

Leia was like her mother; she had her dark hair and eyes, but seemed to have inherited her Father's temper and need to get into trouble.

_I wonder if Luke has inherited his Mother's personality; especially for caring and kindness towards certain aspects._

Smiling, Bail opened the door of the quarters, and entered to see it empty, meaning that he could relax without having to be summoned to over-see something or go into meetings. Taking off his cloak, Bail walked to the couch and sat down, lounging back and staring at the ceiling, already bored. He liked to keep busy; he was use to the continuous movement of the Senate, non-stop action that made his blood gush through his body and the adrenaline flow that occurred when he debated in the Senate chamber over many problems that he felt could be solved with the right course of action.

Of course, with Padme gone, the problems in the Senate were only increasing; she was the one who kept the Former-Chancellor-Now-Emperor in line. She was a born leader, and when old enough, may have been the next Chancellor.

Of course, all these memories only made Bail sad over what had occurred to her; how Padme's life went from golden, innocent, to destruction and finally death. His heart ached at the thought of that, and Bail wished he had done something sooner; all those times he had saw Anakin in her office and kept his mouth shut, never telling Obi-Wan or the others of what he had discovered. Maybe the whole Empire could have been prevented, he did not know.

_Time to move on, and raise the bundle of joy she had brought into the Galaxy._

Bail paused from his musings to glance at the door as it opened, C3PO entering with a quick walk.

"Senator Organa?" It said in its usual high voice. "May I be of service to you?"

"I am alright, C3PO," Bail answered casually. "Just resting. But if any messages comes through for me, please let me know as soon as."

The gold Droid waddled off, and Bail returned to his thoughts, staring at the ceiling.

_I wonder if Luke is doing well at the Lars' home; being a farmer may be the best for him until we have need of him._

Bail sighed heavily, and reached for the book he had yearned to finish, but never had time to as he was so busy with everything else. Flicking through to the page he had finished at, Bail began to read, and was soon engrossed in the story, taken to some distant planet and felt as though he was standing next to the main characters in the very novel.

He was so fixed on the novel that he didn't see C3PO rush back in a few minutes later, until the Droid was standing right in front of him. Lowering his book, Bail gazed up with a sigh and asked. "Yes?"

"I am so sorry to disturb you, Senator, but there is an individual in your office," The Droid said.

Bail frowned. "What sort of individual?"

"Cloaked, tall, and wears some sort of multiple tunics. He looks like the Man that visited you weeks ago," C3PO said.

Bail frowned. "Alright. Stay out here."

C3PO nodded, and Bail stood up, depositing his book on the table, and headed towards the spare office that he held his most important paper-work inside. It overlooked the rest of Alderaan as well, giving a peaceful environment for Bail to work in, with nothing but the waterfalls, the sounds of the City and the birds to keep him company. Remembering what had occurred weeks ago as well, Bail turned to C3PO and requested. "I want you to keep this quiet. Don't tell anyone, don't alert anyone. Keep your mouth shut."

C3PO started, and said, "I understand Senator."

It turned and waddled off, muttering about the rudeness of Humans, while Bail rolled his eyes and walked towards some marble stairs and upwards to his private office. Opening the door and entering, Bail searched around for the cloaked stranger that the Droid had told him about, and spotted one as such standing at the balcony, overlooking the city before them, hands resting on the stone rail of the balcony.

"I see you survived Kamino, Obi-Wan," Bail said.

The hooded figure turned, and lowered his hood. "I did Bail."

Bail surveyed Obi-Wan's complexion; he looked better, more recovered and definitely had an aura of power and light around him. The lines of his face seemed more doused by the short relaxation that he had on Naboo, but there was still a definite tiredness still in his eyes.

"Why are you here?" Bail asked.

"Just checking up on Leia," Obi-Wan said.

"That's not the reason," Bail retorted. "I know you well, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Why are you here?"

Obi-Wan sighed, and looked back over the City. "Beautiful planet, this is Bail."

Bail walked towards him and joined him at the balcony. "Alderaan has always been beautiful. And is even more so in summer."

"Indeed," Obi-Wan agreed. "The first bloom is already upon your system."

"But once the Emperor has his way, I don't know if it will last," Bail admitted. "He might tear down these forests and use it to pay for many military projects."

Obi-Wan sighed, and ran a hand through his hair. "And that is why I am here."

Bail turned to gaze over his friend, a frown on his face, before deciding to voice the question that was on his tongue now. "I have a feeling that you wish for me to spy on the Emperor."

"No, much more," Obi-Wan said. "Me and the others have discussed this, but we are struggling to reach an agreement over our decision."

"What decision?" Bail asked. "Tell me."

Obi-Wan turned back to him. "The Jedi Order knows that you and several other Senators were planning to over-throw the Chancellor if he didn't step down from his post. You have a requisition drawn up, signed with some terms and delivered it to the Chancellor a week before the Republic fell."

"How did you know of this?" Bail asked.

"We have our resources- or did back then," Obi-Wan confessed. "But this requisition was also a keystone for a new movement if the Chancellor didn't bend to the demands and stepped down once the War was finished; we had a feeling that Palpatine wouldn't give up the post unless he was forced to, or had the members of your requisition killed if the other Senators felt that they should agree to it. The last thing Palpatine would have wanted was a Rebellion towards his steadily growing Sith Empire."

Bail suddenly realised what Obi-Wan was getting at. "I understand. Do you feel it is time?"

"I am undecided," Obi-Wan admitted. "The Senators that had signed the requisition- bar you and Padme- can you contact them?"

"I can," Bail said. "But you must understand how much of a risk this is."

"I understand Bail," Obi-Wan said. "But know this; everything that Padme had died to try and defend is now going to be revived. She wanted a Galaxy full of peace, justice and freedom, where the politicians work as one to bring forth a new Republic after Palpatine. It is time to honour that wish."

"I know two Senators that may help us," Bail said. "They have been steadily believing that the Empire is unfair and possibly turning the promises that Palpatine had spoken off into the trash-chute. As we speak, there are many non-human species being rounded up and turned into slaves; the Togruti, Twi'leks and Tahls are only some of the species of non-humans that are being gathered and forced under the registration act."

"We can't help so many of them with so few of us," Obi-Wan said. "Right now, we need the support of those in the Senate that believe the Empire is wrong."

"And we might get that," Bail assured. "But I need to get into contact with the others first. But we need to be assured that the Jedi are ready to fight once again."

Obi-Wan nodded, and said, "Any news about our Hope?"

"Palpatine has kept the whole affair close to the chest," Bail said. "But that doesn't mean he has not found Luke."

Obi-Wan frowned. "I have tried to get into contact with Beru and Owen, but there is now answer from them; I can only assume that they have run into some trouble."

"I already have some people looking into it," Bail comforted.

"Thank you Bail," Obi-Wan said, before checking the time. "I must depart; Sara will be waiting for me."

"Sara?" Bail repeated, and then a smirk crawled onto his face. "Is this a friend of yours or another female that you have fallen in love with?"

"Let's just say, we are a pair," Obi-Wan admitted. "But whether we want to ignore the Code and go further and maybe onwards towards marriage and having Children, we are unsure. We need Yoda's blessing first."

"If the Rebellion begins, we will need Yoda's help to even the playing field," Bail said. "His strength in the Force will enable the Jedi and any army we have to succeed."

Obi-Wan nodded, before he suddenly froze, a spark of pain searing through his head. Sitting down, he placed a hand over his forehead, wincing.

"Obi-Wan?" Bail said in fear. He placed his hands on the Jedi's shoulders, and shook him slightly.

_LUKE! HOLD ON! _A Woman sounded.

Obi-Wan shook himself and looked up. "I have to get back, now. Luke is in danger."

Ooo

Beru slept peacefully for the first time since Owen was murdered, her blanket wrapped around herself as she snuggled into the bed that she was now resting in. Luke was next to her in a large draw, which had some soft pillows and blankets inside to turn it into a make-shift cot, the baby boy now sleeping deeply and undisturbed.

Beru had heard rumours that day of Jedi attacks on the Empire through the holo-vision, and she realised that most of the attacks on the Imperial troops were focused on the Nubian system and any allies of them. So far, it seemed focused on the outer rim, and not the core.

She had soon wondered whether it would be best going to them with Luke, and beg for their help. Luke was sensitive, and thus important to them, but she had wondered whether it was best if Luke should be introduced into a War at such a young age, but with the recent events occurring, it seemed imminent that there was definitely going to be a new War surfacing.

A Rebellion against the Empire.

Suddenly, she was shaken awake, and raised her head as she woke, staring up to see her friend above her, fear in her eyes.

"You have to go," She said. "There are troopers making late night demands to search the homes of everyone here; someone saw you enter the House, and has reported it."

Beru was up within a heart-beat, and grabbed Luke into her arms, fear already crawling into her heart and onto her features. Taking the shawl and wrapping it around the burn on her face, she held Luke tightly in her arms, ignoring his moan as he rubbed his eyes, but Beru ignored his muffled cries as he buried his face in her shoulder, taking the warm cloak that her friend offered her and going out the back.

The front door was smashed down, and Beru gave a gasp as she heard their shouts for them to stay put and put their hands behind their heads.

Rushing down the street, Beru hid Luke's face against her shoulder and continued on, staring back for a second to see that some troopers had spotted her escape, and were now closing in on her. Taking some steady breaths, Beru headed towards the river that ran through Thede, and skidded as she stopped at the edge of the walkway, before turning to the troopers that were following them.

"Miss, step away from the edge," One said, a hint of fear and worry in his voice. "Please, come away from the edge before you fall in! Think of the infant!"

"You won't take him and me," Beru said. "You already killed my husband and burned my home down just to get at him! Why must you harm an innocent family?"

"We only attack those who are guilty," The trooper said. "You are harbouring a wanted—."

"Wanted?" Beru shrieked. "He's only a baby! He doesn't do anything but sleep and eat!"

The troopers seemed shocked for a moment, and glanced at one another as though debating what to do.

Beru closed her eyes for a second, and pleaded for help from someone-anyone- that was near which could distract the troopers and save her and Luke.

_Obi-Wan... Please help us! Where are you?_

Now, her mind was made up; she wasn't going to let the Emperor get his hands on Luke, and she wasn't going to go down.

"Come with us," The trooper finally said. "We can guarantee that you'll get a fair trial."

"Fair? As in shot down before a squad," Beru retorted. "I would rather drown."

She glanced back at the rushing water, before jumping.

The troopers yelled for her, and made to rush in only to see her get swept away by the currents.

"The Emperor won't be happy," One muttered. "Let's get going."

The troopers turned and walked away, leaving the Woman and baby struggling in the water, Beru grabbing hold of a branch, Luke wailing against her chest as she stared towards the waterfall, knowing that it held an absolute a hundred percent chance of death...

"Oh Luke," She whispered. "I failed you. I am so, so sorry."

Beru gazed up at the moon, her hand struggling to hold onto the branch, before she closed her eyes.

Her strength failed and she and Luke were swept away towards the waterfall.


	37. Part III, Chapter 3

**Well, here's another update for you! Please remember that important review!**

* * *

><p><em>RESCUE<em>

The ship veered over the desert world, accelerating as it descended over the atmosphere before the pilot and co-pilot increased the speed even more. The familiar mud homes of Mos Eisley greeted the pair, and the small white-blue astro droid whistled frantically for his Master to decrease the speed, claiming that the ship was struggling a bit to remain together, and the Master ignored him, pushing the ship further, the machinery creaking loudly and groaning with the assault that it was suffering.

"Obi, please, slow down!" The Co-pilot pleaded, turning her head so that she gazed at him.

"The slower we are, the more danger that Luke is in!" The pilot retorted. "And I am _not_ letting that Boy suffer for the mistakes I made with his Father! Go and get your weapons ready; as soon as we land we are going to probably be in a blood-bath."

"Obi-Wan calm yourself," Sara said firmly. "Stop it."

Obi-Wan almost turned and shouted at her; she didn't understand! Luke was incredibly important to the Galaxy, and his survival meant that the Galaxy had freedom when the Boy was old enough to take on the Sith. His heart was pounding in his chest, and sweat was covering his skin in bucket loads, making them sticky as they tightened on the steering handles of the ship, jaw tensed and ready.

Artoo squealed as Obi-Wan came dangerously close to the sandy surface, and that forced the Jedi to veer slightly to stop the ship getting damaged by his actions. He could see it up ahead- the hovel- and the smoke emitting into the sky from it, sensing Sara tensing next to him, before reaching down to his belt to check that his light-sabre was still there.

"Up ahead," Sara suddenly said. "Storm-troopers!"

Obi-Wan gritted his teeth. "Take over. I'm going down."

Sara nodded and clicked some buttons, taking over the control of the ship while Obi-Wan rushed to the back to activate the ramp. Igniting his light-sabre, Obi-Wan heard the ramp descend and steadied himself before hearing Sara shout that they were about to soar over the top of the hovel.

Leaping out, Obi-Wan landed in the sand, his light-sabre ready as the Troopers turned to him- some on speeders- and raised their rifles. Obi-Wan pushed his hand out and the sand blasted into their faces, before he threw his light-sabre at them, slicing through a few of them before they opened fire at him. Ducking their fire, Obi-Wan grasped his light-sabre in his hand and attacked them, hearing the troopers leave their speeders and rush forwards, their pistols ready to open fire at him too.

Starting to get overwhelmed by the Troopers, Obi-Wan was forced to duck and dodge as the blaster shots came from all ends and was nearing his legs and arms, ready to cripple him significantly. Taking Anakin's light-sabre into his hand, Obi-Wan ignited it too, desperation rising as the blaster shots singed his Jedi attire, and one narrowly missed his cheek, grazing it slightly and almost burning the skin completely. Wincing at the near miss, Obi-Wan built the Force into himself and expelled it as a ring of power, blasting the Troopers away from him and causing them to land on the ground, some on top of others and on the speeders or hovel. Focusing, Obi-Wan lifted their pistols with the Force, and aimed them straight at the Troopers, before announcing.

"I am letting you live, only if you leave this place and never mention me to anyone."

One Trooper glared at him through their helmet. "As if, Jedi."

Obi-Wan glared at each of them, before closing his eyes. He still remembered that Troopers had weak willed minds, able to change their thoughts and feelings to listen to each and every command that he wanted to inflict on them. Finally, he broke through all of their barriers in their minds and then exerting his will on them, making the Troopers get up, and walk away.

They had forgotten he was even there, and had apparently received an Order to return back to base.

Obi-Wan felt exhausted after that, but he sighed heavily, extinguished his light-sabres and rushed towards the door to the Lars' home, seeing the burned wood that was now all that remained. Kicking it down, Obi-Wan staggered down the steps, trying hard to not slip on the soot that had now coated them, and down into the court yard, before staring around at the wreckage that was in his view, shock on his face.

The wooden and plastic utilities were now blackened and destroyed, and the walls were covered in debris, soot and blood. A blackened body lay a few feet away, and Obi-Wan nearly choked when he realised who it was.

"Owen," He whispered. "I am so, so, sorry."

Obi-Wan headed to the nursery, following Luke's signature and entered to see the destruction inside. Tears built in his eyes when he realised that there was no body, no feeling of Death for the Youngling, which meant...

Luke was still alive.

He turned and rushed out, heading back into the courtyard, staring up when he saw Sara standing at the top of the sand bank above him.

"He's alive!" He called up to her. "And I don't sense Beru's death either!"

"Well let's go! We can find them!" Sara answered. "How much ahead are they?"

Obi-Wan focused, before calling back. "I believe they left yesterday!"

Sara nodded- though he couldn't see it properly- and said. "Let's get going! We can still catch them if we hurry!"

Obi-Wan nodded, and looked around for something to take with him; he could use Quinlan's skill of post-events to see what had happened and where the pair had left to. Hopefully, Luke and Beru were going to be safe and sound, or send a message to him that he could come and get them, before taking them to safety.

Now, it was time to return to Naboo and collect the evidence before organising a massive hunt for Luke and Beru before the Empire located them first.

Ooo

Garen was on his routine patrol around the perimeter of the River House, surveying each and every inch with the Force and checking that nothing was out of order, before returning back home via the forest road, which turned and climbed over a bridge that was build over the river that was formed from the waterfall leaving Thede. Pausing for a moment, he stared up at the magnificent City, wishing for a second that he could go up there and interact with the citizens, be normal for once.

But how can he be normal when he had his face plastered over the screens of every holo on every planet that had them? For once, Garen wanted to feel what it was like to fall in love, to have someone with him until he died. Heaving a sigh, Garen turned to survey the waterfall, watching the beauty that was before him, hands in his sleeves, before smiling widely.

"Hello Bultar," He said, gazing around to see the dark haired woman. "Finished your patrol?"

"Yep, this side of the river is clear," Bultar said, joining him, and also watching the waterfall. "Nothing for miles on end; I put alarm sensors on random trees in a mile radius near the House. So, the patrol is finished for me."

Garen nodded, before glancing at her. "How you holding up?"

"I'm okay," Bultar admitted. "I just feel a bit tired after Kamino; that whole fiasco has drained me dry."

"Especially when you're still recovering from your arm," Garen nodded towards her robotic arm. "You still should have stayed behind Bultar; it's not good to have gone straight into a battle when you're not sure of the strength of your prosthetic arm."

Bultar scowled, and rolled her eyes. "I had to help; better than sitting back and doing nothing while you are all risking your necks for the Republic. Now, come on; let's get back home."

Garen sighed, and began to lead the way back, when he suddenly halted. Bultar- who didn't pay much attention to it- walked right into his back and almost fell onto the ground, and glared at Garen's back, before saying. "Hey! When you stop like that randomly, let me know!"

Garen didn't answer, making Bultar gaze in worry. "Garen? Garen?"

She stood next to him, and followed his gaze towards the bank of the river.

Lying there, half of her body in the water, and half out, was a brunette woman with a horrific burn on half her face, clinging tightly to the bank, her shawl now soaked around her shoulder, the fabric she wore for her dress also clinging tightly to her body. Raising her head, the woman gazed up at the two Jedi, a bundle in one arm, and whispered. "Help... Me..."

Garen rushed forwards, and gently lifted the Woman onto the bank, the bundle in her arms now being held tightly. Bultar also rushed forwards, and held the woman in her arms, as she struggled to breathe before them, obviously weak from the fall that she must have endured. Bultar gazed down at the bundle in her arms to see a soaked baby, somehow sleeping as its hand tightened on the clothing the Woman wore, blonde hair plastered on the top of his head.

She somehow recognised the baby in her arms, and her eyes widened; the blonde hair was familiar, the cleft chin and the shape of the face reminded her of...

Anakin Skywalker.

Which meant that this must be his son, the one that Obi-Wan had been telling her about; the baby that was the hope of the Galaxy, the One to defeat the Sith and rebuild the Jedi and free everyone from the Empire.

Bultar looked at the Woman. "Who are you?"

"Beru..." Came the weak answer. "You're... Jedi..."

Bultar and Garen swapped glances, before Garen said. "Yes, we are."

Beru looked up at them, before whispering. "Is... Obi-Wan... Here?"

Bultar bit her lip. "He's away off-world, but is due back in a few hours; we can take you to our home and rest you for a while. We have a healer amongst us, who is capable of saving you."

Beru nodded, before saying. "Please... Help us..."

Bultar took the bundle off of her, while Garen lifted her into his arms, moving slowly and confidently towards the River House. Staring down at the baby in her arms, Bultar brushed aside the damp blonde locks and smiled down at the baby as his eyes opened, staring at her in curiosity. She couldn't help but smile at him, and he smiled back, before she reached over and brushed his forehead with her flesh hand.

Immediately, she was assaulted by different images of a grown man, wielding a green light-sabre, and felt the sheer power of the baby in her arms. The Force was incredibly strong with him, so strong that she was overwhelmed and nearly stumbled.

"Bultar! Come on!" Garen called.

Bultar blinked and followed immediately, astonished at what she had seen. When Obi-Wan returned, she will be having a long conversation with him over the baby's future.


	38. Part III, Chapter 4

**Well, here's the next update. In advance, I apologize to any Qui-Gon lovers out there; he gets a bit of a grilling at the end of the chapter, but I have to say, they way he treated Obi-Wan in the Phantom Menace made me hate the Man from then on. Plus, he ruined the Jedi Order by getting them to train their downfall.**

**Anyway, please remember that review!**

* * *

><p><em>REUNITED<em>

When Beru woke, she was lying in a comfortable bed, the sounds of birds and the light of the Nubian sun peeking through the blinds and basking parts of the bed in golden rays. Her head felt heavy though, as though she had taken a beaten, making her wince as she raised it slightly to stare around the room she was lying in.

It was highly decorated, with plants on the dark wood dresser opposite her, giving a faint sweet aroma in the air, along with some pictures- hand painted- and a bookshelf. There were some bedside tables next to her, one holding a jug of water with an empty glass, a bowl of fruit next to it. Feeling suddenly peckish, Beru reached over shakily and took a couple of grapes, popping them in her mouth before sitting up, staring down at her feet. The long white night-dress she wore fell to her ankles, and were long sleeved, covered at the top by her hair which was now loose around her shoulders. Raising a hand, she brushed it back and felt the burn on one side of her face.

Only to find it gone.

She blinked, and searched around for a mirror, seeing a small hand-held one just peeking out from behind the fruit bowl, picking it up and looking in at it. Her reflection gazed back, showing her tired eyes and features, but also a faint scar where the worst of the burn had once been. Tracing a finger down it, she gaped for a second, before looking around for the person that had obviously done the job, only to realise something.

Luke was missing.

Panic and fear rose in her body, turning her blood cold as she jumped to her feet and wobbled her way towards the door, pulling it open and almost collapsing into the floor of the corridor. Keeping herself steady, she looked around for any sign of a living being, trying to calm herself down- but she couldn't! She _had_ to know where Luke was! Was he safe? Was he secure? Was he crying for her this moment?

Those questions did nothing to douse the rising fear inside her, and she cleared her throat, before calling out. "Hello?"

Nobody answered her, and that just made it worse.

Holding onto the wall, she walked quickly down the corridor and towards the main body of the building, before hearing voices rising from a room nearby. Beru paused, and heard laughter, a deep voice speaking, and a cooing noise that made her feel relief. That meant that Luke was with them- whoever _them_ was- but that made her worry again, unsure of the danger he would be in with them; were they Imperial spies or soldiers? Holding her and Luke until that gnarled face man came to finish the job he had started on Tatooine?

Searching around, she discovered a pistol slung on a hook just past the door, and reached for it, taking it into her hand before checking that it was charged and ready. Taking some deep breaths to calm herself down, Beru held the pistol before her, and kicked the door open.

There were five of them, with one a small, blue alien that she did not recognise, even with her experiences on Tatooine. There were two female Humans, one dark haired, the other blonde, and the dark haired one was balancing a baby on her knee, the infant clothed in a white small shirt and trousers, his blonde hair neatly brushed and washed accordingly. Beru couldn't help but realise that this was Luke, and already, she thought he looked a very handsome baby. Realising what she was doing, she clicked the pistol and the chatter stopped, the group looking at her. Immediately, Luke squirmed in the dark haired woman's hands, reaching for Beru with a large smile on his face.

"Hand me the baby," Beru said, trying to sound confident. "Now."

"I'm afraid we can't do that," A dark skinned man with dreadlocks sounded, stepping forwards. "Put the gun down, miss. We don't want to have to hurt you any further."

"Then give me the baby," Beru said. "Please, give him back!"

The dark haired woman stood, Luke still in her arms. "Beru, please calm down."

Beru gazed at her, and recognised her as one of her saviours at the waterfall, and then spotted the blonde haired man too, walking forwards with his hand out, as though trying to calm her down. Feeling tears rise, Beru whispered. "Please. He's all I have left."

"Is he yours?" The blue alien asked. "He's very powerful in the Force."

"He's... My adoptive son," Beru admitted. "I've grown very close to him. Please, give him back to me, or I'll shoot."

The blonde haired woman sighed and took a step forwards too. "Put the gun down, Beru; you can't compete with Jedi. My partner will not be pleased if he hears a gunshot from inside; he knows that you and the baby are here, Beru, but he felt you two should be given some space."

"Who is your partner?" Beru demanded, her hand now shaking. "Tell me!"

The woman rolled her eyes. "You really are blind, aren't you? After all, he's standing right behind you."

Beru froze as a firm hand grabbed her own, pushing the pistol down to the ground and then out her grip. She gazed around as the newcomer turned her gently so she faced him, but Beru kept her eyes down, spying dark-red boots with tucked in breeches, a bronze belt around his waist and a cloth under-belt, with tabards falling down his front. Raising her eyes, she soon stared into the eyes of Ben Kenobi, or Obi-Wan Kenobi as he preferred to be called.

Releasing the breath she didn't know she had been holding, Beru blinked and whispered. "Obi-Wan."

His eyes depicted his tiredness, but his smile was heart-warming, even though it was hidden by some of his beard. "Hello Beru."

Beru felt tears. After all the heart-break and death she had endured recently, to find that she still had a friend to comfort and take care of her was enough for Beru to feel safe and secure around these people, so much so that she started crying, sinking into Obi-Wan's embrace as he held her tight, rubbing her back in comfort.

Raising his head, Obi-Wan glanced at the other Jedi, Luke chewing on Bultar's sleeve, and asked. "May we be left alone for a moment? Bultar, can you take Luke out onto the balcony and let him explore?"

Bultar nodded, and got up, Luke pouting when she pulled her sleeve from his clutches and wandered to the balcony just visible off the room. The other Jedi departed quickly and quietly, leaving Obi-Wan standing with Beru in his arms. Walking towards the couch, Obi-Wan sat them both down, letting Beru sob quietly into his tunic, and whispered some comforting words into her dark hair.

Finally, he held her at arms length, and asked. "Where is Owen, Beru?"

Beru's eyes filled with tears again, and she whimpered. "He's... He's dead... They came in the night..."

"Who?" Obi-Wan asked, though he already knew what she was talking about.

Beru placed her hands over her face, and Obi-Wan managed to hear her say. "Troopers, and some gnarled faced Man. Looked old, and wore a dark robe and hood over his features and face. He tried to kill Luke; I tried to stop him, but Owen told me to run... I did and... I got onto a speeder... The Man... He sent lightning and..."

She couldn't finish, and Obi-Wan found anger rise.

Palpatine. It all fell to Palpatine; he had discovered Luke and obviously wanted to remove his greatest threat to his reign before Luke was old enough to challenge him. Luckily, the other Skywalker remained anonymous, and safe on Alderaan.

Taking her hands and pulling them from her face, Obi-Wan stared into her eyes and said. "You can stay here as long as you want; the Jedi here are friendly and we can remain hidden. You and Luke are welcome."

Beru nodded, and whispered. "You're right. You were right about everything; Luke is important. I know what's right for him."

Obi-Wan gazed at her once again, before looking at the balcony, where Bultar was sitting- cross legged- and playing with Luke by levitating some fallen petals from the nearby flowers around his head, the baby trying to grab them and giggling loudly.

"I want you to train him," Beru said. "I want him to become a Jedi, and fulfil his destiny. He is needed by the Galaxy, and I think you are the best one to train him."

Obi-Wan bit his lip. "He will be a Jedi, Beru. I promise you that, but it won't be me training him. I failed with Anakin, and I'm not going to make the same mistake as I did with him onto his son."

"Then who?" Beru asked. "Who will train him?"

Obi-Wan glanced towards the fireplace, his gaze distant as he thought it through.

"Yoda," He said. "Yoda will train him. I know he will, and I know he'll do a better job than I did."

"Isn't Yoda in hiding?" Beru asked, gazing at the Jedi Master with wide eyes.

Obi-Wan was silent for a few minutes, before saying, "I think Yoda might be returning sooner than I think. I have a feeling we'll be seeing him very soon- sooner than we think."

Ooo

Across the Galaxy, on a swamp like planet, a being sat on a log, his gaze upwards towards the sky. Poking his chin out and giving a grunt, the being opened his eyes and blinked at the many stars that reflected in his eyes, ears twitching as he listened to the living animals that moved around him; some hunting, others foraging. Some were nursing their young, others were building their homes.

His hands tightened on the cane he was resting on, the sharp three-fingered claws he had digging into the wood as the Force whispered it's Will into him, asking him if he was willing to leave the planet and go to the rest of his Followers, the remainder that had stayed on the path of the light. Turning his head, the being slowly jumped down and landed on the soft ground, moving his way towards the house that he occupied, entering it to reveal a burning fire in one corner, and the basic necessities he needed in order to survive. Reaching his bed, the being dug into the underside of it and fished out a metal rod, something that he had not touched for years, broken but still breathing in his hand, emitting his essence for the whole hovel.

_It is time, my old Friend,_ the baritone voice sounded through the hut.

"Time? Time, we do not have," The being echoed back. "A shift in the Force, I sense. A Rebellion, rising high into the sky, and making the Dark Side worry."

_Palpatine would not defeat it._

"Defeat it? No, crush it he will," The being turned to the orb that now appeared in a part of his hovel. "But Hope, I sense, is rising. The boy, growing stronger he is, and soon, learn the Jedi ways, he shall."

_Will he succeed where Anakin has failed?_

"Succeed? Unsure I am," The Being closed his eyes. "Always in motion, the Future is."

_Anakin will still bring balance to the Force. He does not know it yet, but he shall._

The orb hovered before the being's face now, and he swatted it away. "Defiance I have always sensed in you, young Qui-Gon. But perhaps, you are right. But Darkness has fallen, and the Force has been shadowed. Broken, the Prophecy is now, Qui-Gon."

"_And in the time of greatest despair, there shall come a savior, and he shall be known as the Son of Suns", _the Voice quoted. _It speaks of Anakin._

"Anakin, it does not speak of," The being argued. "But Luke."

_Luke was not born on Tatooine, where dwell the two suns, _the voice argued. _Anakin was born-_

"Enough," The being commanded. "Stubborn you have always been! Trouble, now, your actions have caused, and fix it, I must! Luke will take the helm, and succeed where his Father has not! Leave, I shall, to aid my fellow Jedi, from this mess you have caused!"

_I am right Yoda. You shall see._

"Right, you are not," The being snorted. "Disappointed I am, in you Qui-Gon; your mis-reading of the prophecy, spoiled Anakin, and place a burden on him! His downfall, your spoiling and sowing arrogant dreams was."

There was silence, and the being knew he had hit a nerve.

"Never Obi-Wan's fault, it was," The being said after a moment. "Trained him well, he has. Not failed anyone, Obi-Wan has, but failed him, you have, that day in the Council Chamber."

_I am sorry Yoda._

"Sorry to me? Hmph," the being wacked his cane against the side of his hovel. "Apologize to Obi-Wan, you should. Go, I will, to the other Jedi. Speak to Anakin, once talked to Obi-Wan, you shall. Or don't contact again."

The orb left, and Yoda was thrown in darkness. Yes, it was time to make his return to the Jedi, and lead them on once again.


	39. Part III, Chapter 5

**Well, here's another update for you. Now, there is a little surprise somewhere in the chapter. Let's see if you can get it!**

**Please leave that all important review!**

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><p><em>TRACKING THE JEDI<em>

Vader stormed through the corridors of the Senate, feeling in a foul temper today, pushing Senators and troopers out his way as he took the long strides towards the Emperor's office, his hands now clenched tightly as the gloves strained with the pressure of the metal hands that he had now acquired. His boots were heavy, almost driving the scarlet rug into the floor and maybe- just maybe- cause impressions of his boot-prints on the stone underneath the rug.

Gritting his teeth through his mask, Vader paused outside the office, taking some deep, calming breath before turning to face Palpatine's office, marvelled at the fact that it had not changed at all, still furnished and painted the same way. Although the window had been replaced from the duel that had occurred inside, the only remnants of that day now lying somewhere in the base of the Undercity, a decaying body of a Jedi Master.

Staring into the office, Vader relaxed himself before heading inside it, seeing the back of the chair that Palpatine sat in, a hologram of some sort of station visible at the window.

It was in the shape of a globe, with a small indent in the side of it- depending on the point of view- and some statistics and wording that Vader could not see clearly at all. It could only be the new space station that Palpatine had shown him, and it looked like that the progress of the station was still being watched carefully by Palpatine in case something happened. Walking in, Vader paused a few feet from the desk, and announced.

"Master."

The hologram deactivated, and Palpatine turned the seat to face Vader, his hood up to hide the scars that the Sith had on his face, but the gleams of yellow that now reflected in his eyes were easily seen. The Sith looked up at Vader, and said. "Lord Vader. Take a seat; we have a long discussion ahead of us."

Vader glanced at the chair that Palpatine indicated, and did just that, praying that the seat could take the weight of his life-support and the added metal limbs and suit he now had acquired. Relaxing, Vader gazed at Palpatine through his mask, and waited for the Sith to speak.

"I have felt a disturbance in the Force," Palpatine said lowly. "It seems that the Jedi are regrouping once again. My spies have located a pair in the Felucian system; it is rumoured to be Shaak Ti, and it appears she has an apprentice. I wish for you to go to Felucia and eliminate them both; we cannot allow any more Jedi to join the group, or we will have a Rebellion on our hands."

Vader nodded. "I will depart immediately."

"I don't wish for you to face this Jedi alone," Palpatine said. "I, myself, shall accompany you."

This news was intriguing to Vader; the only time that he had witnessed Palpatine in a duel was against Mace Windu, and that duel had cost the Sith's appearance. But Vader knew he should not under-estimate the Emperor, particularly his power, just in case the Emperor turned on Vader himself.

That day was suddenly replayed in his mind, but Vader managed to shove it aside, concentrating on Palpatine again. "As you wish, my Master, but I stress that you let me handle this personally; you are still recovering from Windu's attack, and your recent travel has exhausted you."

"I am not an invalid," Palpatine retorted. "I am capable, lord Vader. Prepare your flagship, along with many escort ships; if the Jedi get information about us then we are possibly going to face a revolt of the alien species on the planet."

Vader listened intently, before saying, "Master, please. The troopers may appear weak, but they are not that weak; they have managed to take down many Jedi. As long as they keep the Jedi surrounded and busy, then I can easily take Shaak down if she is tired and subdued."

Vader had to admit that his suit slowed him down a lot; he could no longer act athletic, with his training under Obi-Wan now completely useless in some cases. The jumps and Force-speed that he had mastered were now burdened by his heavier suit, even though he can still jump high and use the Force to help improve his endurance. Pain was no longer a problem; with being burned alive, his nerves were destroyed in most cases, and he had become use to it.

He left his thoughts behind and returned to the here-and-now, gazing at Palpatine as the Master contemplated what he had just said. Finally, after a long, few moments, Palpatine sighed, and said, "Very well, Lord Vader. You shall undertake this mission yourself, but fail, and the punishment will be as severe as possible."

Vader nodded, and got up from his seat. "Yes, my Master."

"Oh, and Lord Vader?" Palpatine said, interrupting him before he turned and left. "If there is a youngster with them- a young boy- then bring him here to me. Dead or alive; do not hesitate."

Vader had no idea what he meant, or _why_ he was suddenly interested in a youngster, but he had no choice but to agree. After all, he told himself bitterly, he had killed the younglings in the Temple, so now he could do that again.

Yet, it made his insides squirm and curl, as he remembered the screams and the bodies that he had caused. Somehow, Padme's last few words to him was enough to make him already start the doubt that he may have chosen wrong once again; like on Tatooine, when he killed the raiders that had killed his mother. Why must he always act this way, let his anger rise to maximum levels and kill anything in his path? Who was he to act the way that his mother had told him not to; the Woman that had made him believe that the smallest bit of good could change massive events?

He felt tears rise under his mask at the thought of his mother, but he forced them back again, shielded by the crimson orbs that he now had, which had destroyed the blue orbs that had once been there.

"Lord Vader?" Palpatine's voice displayed some concern, and he found that he was still standing, with his back to his Master.

Vader turned to face him, and said, "I am alright Master; I shall depart immediately to Felucia and locate Shaak Ti, and kill any Jedi youngsters with her."

Palpatine nodded. "Good, Lord Vader, and remember; do not let them get the better of you. At all."

"I know the Togruta's methods of combat," Vader said; his patience was starting to wear thin. "I have seen her duel before."

Palpatine almost lost his temper, ready to attack Lord Vader for his arrogant nature, but steadied himself. Yet, his anger was felt by Vader, and he froze for a moment, before taking a hasty bow and leaving the room with quick strides, heading out into the corridor once more, standing for a moment out of view on the wall next to the doorway, taking some steady breaths and raising his head to stare at the troopers that had paused to glance at him.

"What are you looking at?" He snapped. "Get back to it!"

The troopers jumped and immediately returned to their duties, Vader scolding himself internally and asserting his authority once again, keeping straight and tense. Striding down the corridor after the troopers, Vader pushed a couple of Senators out the way and made them collide with the wall and fall to the ground. None of them dared to say or do anything at his assault, and Vader continued down the corridor.

Maybe, just maybe, the death of one more Jedi will shatter the will of the remaining Jedi-where-ever they are hiding- and may get them to make some mistakes.

With Yoda presumed dead, there was no way that they were going to stop the Empire.

Ooo

Sara wandered the corridors after a training session with Bultar, her hair pulled back into a tail, her muscles sore and her legs shaky after the few hours they had spent duelling one another, first with their light-sabres and then hand-to-hand combat, sometimes landing hits on one another that made them bruise, or missing.

Sara headed back to the quarters she now shared with Obi-Wan. That made her smile; after everything that she went through, she now was in a relationship with a famous Jedi Master, and sharing the apartment that was big enough for them both. Beru and Luke were staying with them as well, so that the pair were kept safely close to the powerful and experienced Jedi in case the Sith came calling. Hearing giggles from inside, she opened the door and entered, a smile rising on her face as she saw the source.

Luke was lying on a small blanket, Obi-Wan sitting cross-legged before him, his larger hands clasping the smaller ones, pulling faces at the baby, making him laugh loudly in high-pitched squeals.

Beru was sitting next to them, watching and smiling widely as the baby laughed at Obi-Wan's antics, kicking his small feet out every time. Sara couldn't help but laugh slightly, joining the trio on the floor, and resting slightly against Obi-Wan, who smiled around at her. Beru gazed up at them, before coughing and saying, "I'll take Luke for his feed."

She reached for Luke, but the baby refused to let go of Obi-Wan's hands, just holding on even tighter than before. Chuckling, Obi-Wan said. "I don't think he wants to leave any time soon."

Beru sighed, and said. "Okay. He can stay; I'll go and prepare something for him."

She got up, and left the apartment, leaving Obi-Wan, Luke and Sara alone. Obi-Wan gazed at Sara as he lifted Luke into his arms, resting back against the couch edge, Sara joining him.

"Have you ever wondered?" Sara started. "What if would be like if you had a family?"

Obi-Wan raised his head from Luke, and gazed at her. "Sometimes. I sometimes wish what if would have been like, and I hope to soon."

Sara blinked, and looked into his eyes, Luke chirping in his arms and waving his small hands. "What do you mean?"

"I... Have been meaning to ask you something," Obi-Wan started.

Their lips were close now, and she could feel what he wanted to ask her on the tip of his tongue, ready to be spilled to let her heart what the question will be that he wanted her to hear.

"Sara..." Obi-Wan started again. "Can you... Will you do me the honour of..."

But before he could finish the question, the door burst open, and Quinlan rushed in, panting heavily. Blushing, the pair pulled apart, and Luke gave a loud giggle, staring between them with recognition at what was about to have occurred.

"We have a problem," Quinlan said. "Like, a _serious_ problem."

Sara gazed at Obi-Wan, who nodded, handing her Luke. "I'll catch up."

"Okay," Sara said, balancing Luke in her arms. "Don't take too long."

Obi-Wan nodded, and the trio rushed off- Luke in her arms- and stood up. He sighed heavily, and clasped what had been in his hand.

Staring down, he gazed at the velvet box, groaned and turned away, locking it in his cabinet. He had been meaning to ask for a while now, but they always had interruptions; he just had to get his timing right.

Feeling the urgency in the Force, he stared one last time at the cabinet that contained the precious stone, then left the quarters to attend the meeting.


	40. Part III, Chapter 6

**Well, here's another update for you. Just a nice short chapter for everyone to snack on, and I hope you enjoy it.**

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><p><em>THE FALL OF FELUCIA<em>

The fleet erupted from hyperspace, the massive cruisers that were once the main War machine against the Separatists now being used for the Empire's assault on anyone that cares to resist them foolishly, although the result was always death for the Rebelling party. It was only a matter of time.

The fleet consisted of at least ten ships, with one a heavily armed cruiser- larger than the others- and the others were smaller, faster ships, soon over-taking the large cruiser and heading down towards the darkened surface. As they entered the atmosphere, every occupant's ears began to pop at the sudden change; their heads spinning as the ship slowly increased some oxygen to get them use to the planet's different environment.

The clouds were soon left behind, and the lush planet was revealed underneath them, the night causing the flora to light up, the luminous colours highlighting the mushroom spines that extended them to the top of the moss covered cliffs or verges. The forests seemed endless to the troopers as they waited to be deployed by the gunships as they were soon deployed from the smaller cruisers, heading towards the first clear spot that they could see in the many fields of flora.

When they finally touched down, the doors opened and the troopers rushed out, rifles and launchers ready for the first sign of battle. The commander moved to the front of the ground as the rest of the drop ships landed, depositing tanks behind them, already moving as soon as they touched down, flattening any flora in their path with a crunch.

The commander turned to the squads gathered behind him, and said, "We move north; the spies have located the Jedi in that direction. Let's go!"

The squadrons moved behind him, the commander leading them into the thick bushes and through the maze of mushrooms and other unusual flora. Grabbing their knives, they began to slash away some branches that got in their way, moving in a single line towards the destination they still don't know.

The commander stared around, wondering if there was any way to root out the Jedi or the natives; where there was panic in the natives, the Jedi would not be far behind. Hopefully, they _weren't_ so far behind, unless they could start fires.

Turning to the squadron behind him, he barked. "Where are the flamethrowers?"

"Sir!" A few called, and at least eight rushed forwards, standing before the commander in salute, their heavy weaponry shaking slightly in their hands. The commander nodded to them, and indicated towards the flora.

"Burn it."

The troopers nodded and rushed ahead, while the commander ordered the others to move into groups, watching them rush through the flora as the flame-troopers ignited the tips of their weapons and turned them on, burning the plants and any small animal that lived inside them.

The flames soon spread up the height of the tall structures of the flora, soon breaking and falling, almost crushing any troopers that were still standing still, watching the fires as they soon began to spread; within seconds, more flora was ignited by the flames, moving over the over-growth that was on the ground and rising cliffs. Black smoke rose into the air, blanking out the stars and making the commander watch, his breathing calm regardless of what was occurring.

If they needed to raze the whole planet to the ground to find the Jedi, then they would have to.

He wasn't aware that someone was trying to contact him until his comm. began to beep even louder, and glanced down towards it, lifting his wrist to his helmet, activating the channel with a click of the button, revealing a hologram of Vader.

"I'm sorry, my Lord," He said. "We were having some difficulties."

"_I am detecting some smoke and loss of vegetation,"_ Vader said. _"What is going on?"_

"We are burning the flora to try and make the natives panic," The commander answered. "If we burn it, the Jedi would sense the panic of the natives and reveal themselves."

"_I was not aware of this plan,"_ Vader said lowly.

"It was just decided," The commander said. "It is already too late to change tactics."

Vader was silent, but his fists were slowly being clenched tightly, his breathing low and threatening, and the commander thought that he may have over-stepped the boundaries by going ahead with a mission without authorising it first. Then, the Sith unclenched his fists and looked up.

"_I am on my way down. Do not attack the Jedi until I arrive," _Vader retorted. "_If any natives get hurt, then you will suffer the same fate that they will suffer."_

"Yes, my Lord," The commander said. "We await your arrival."

"_I shall be down within the hour,"_ Vader disconnected, and the commander lowered his arm, turning to face the fire storm as it continued to rage before him.

"Commander," a trooper rushed forwards. "We have some sittings of rancors attacking our troopers in the north."

The commander turned to him, and said. "Rancors?"

"Yes," the trooper said. "But it's weird... It's like they are being possessed or something. And they are heading this way."

The commander scowled underneath his helmet, before saying, "Use the rocket launchers against the rancors; blast their limbs off. We need to get them taken care of before Lord Vader gets here, and then we are all going to be butchered. Move!"

The trooper nodded and rushed off, before the commander followed soon after, heading towards where roars and snarls were soon sounding over the flames, making the commander draw his pistols and click the safety lock off, rushing forwards as he saw the massive shapes of the beasts emerge through the smoke, one of them carrying a dead trooper in its claw.

They were dark red in colour, teeth bore and their claws covered in blood, yet, their eyes were glazed over as though they were possessed with something. Staring up at them, the commander walked forwards, raising his pistols and rapidly firing at their knee caps, making them roar and struggle.

The shots only made them angrier.

The rancors turned and charged towards him, the commander soon backing off.

"Sir!"

Some troopers appeared from the smoke, heaving the rocket launchers onto their shoulders, aiming for the charging rancors. The commander nodded, and yelled the order, the rockets erupting from the depths and heading straight for the rancors' skulls, striking them.

The rancors fell, landing on the ground, dead.

The commander heaved a sigh of relief, and turned to the others. "Let's go!"

They nodded and he led them over the rancors' bodies, heading towards the direction that they had come from, the smoke becoming less thick as though something was holding it back.

Then, they felt it.

A sudden force threw the troopers back against the ground, and when the commander got up, raising his pistols, he saw three beams of light appear from the darkness, one blue and the other two green, the green ones shorter than that of the blue.

A Togruta- red skinned- appeared, wielding the blue bladed metal cylinder, rushing towards them as the commander opened fire on her, parrying his shots back towards him, ready to strike the commander down.

"OPEN FIRE!" The commander yelled, and the others with him raised their blasters, but the green sabres were suddenly thrown towards them, slicing through a couple of troopers before heading back to a young Zabrak as she appeared.

The two Jedi stared at the commander, as he got up, before turning and running back the way they came.

"Do we go after them?" One trooper sounded, running towards the commander.

The commander stood up, and stared after the pair as they disappeared into the smoke, before turning to say.

"Contact Lord Vader, and tell him that we have located the Jedi near the north side."

The trooper nodded, and rushed back the way he came, before the commander turned back to face where the Jedi had disappeared off into, his fists clenched in the gloves that he wore.

Another roar sounded from within the darkness, and the commander took a step forwards, feeling something hard and gritty underneath his boot. Staring down, he spotted a bone, and then glanced up, seeing a skull emerge from the smoke, before another roar sounded.

"Trooper!" He yelled back to the one that was about to contact Vader. "Cancel that order; tell him that they are heading for the rancor's graveyard."

The trooper nodded and continued on, leaving the commander to glance upwards as a shuttle headed down towards the surface.

It was time to face Lord Vader.


	41. Part III, Chapter 7

**Another chapter for you! Please remember to review!**

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><p><em>A SOLO MISSION<em>

"Impossible," Tsui muttered. "Absolutely."

The Jedi were gathered in the sitting room, discussing what to do about the recent intelligence that they had been sent via a contact in the Senate itself; when the data revealed that the Emperor was planning to go after a pair of Jedi on Felucia, it now once more fell to the Jedi sitting in this very room to discuss what to do and how to convince the Jedi there to come and join them.

"Impossible?" Bultar repeated. "What's impossible?"

Tsui grunted and gazed at each of them in turn. "Impossible as in, how in the Force are we going to get past a blockade, land on the planet amongst troopers, and then locate the pair before they are killed? This seems like suicide."

"We thought Kamino was suicide," Garen argued. "Yet we pulled it off. Albeit, it was almost a fiasco, but we still managed it. What's to say that we won't fail as well here? We might actually end up succeeding and thus, have a pair of Jedi with us too."

"Yes, but what if they don't _want_ to leave Felucia?" Feru had now joined the argument. "And besides, how do we know that they won't turn to the Dark Side, or already have? We could also be walking into a trap."

"A trap?" Garen repeated. "Bail sent us this information; he is trustworthy."

"My faith in the good senator failed when he decided to not help us with the assault on Kamino," Tsui grunted. "And what's to stop him letting us down again?"

Obi-Wan just watched them argue, letting it gather in magnitude before he had to step in. It was best to try and get any negative feelings and possible problems out in the open just now rather than on the mission themselves; that would cause even more problems and distractions that right now, they didn't need. Gazing around at the Sara, their hands being clasped tightly, Obi-Wan rolled his eyes, and she smiled slightly, staring into his eyes.

"Are we interrupting something you two?" Tsui demanded of the pair, and the two Jedi gazed up at him.

"Nothing," Obi-Wan said. "Although, not all of us need to go to Felucia; maybe only a couple of us."

"I guess you would want to go?" Garen said. "Your light-sabre is practically obliterated after the fiasco on Kamino, and I dunno if it can be repaired."

"I guess so," Obi-Wan said with a sigh. "I can always fashion a new one within a day or so; I still have one crystal to be used."

Garen's eyes widened, and he said, "After all this time? You still have that old crystal you've been experimenting on? What if it's unstable?"

"I just need some tweaks done on the crystal and it's done," Obi-Wan admitted. "It'll only take a few hours."

Sara looked over at him. "Is this what you were working on last night? I heard you cursing and some tools working."

Obi-Wan flushed as the other Jedi sniggered; since they had announced they were sharing quarters, he and Sara had been teased endlessly by the others, and were even asked when the pair thought of going further, such as marriage. In honestly, Obi-Wan wanted to propose to Sara, but the moment had never been right for him.

Last night, he had started on said-crystal and began forming it into the new metal hilt he had started to fashion, combining it with a power crystal to try and get it to work. Unfortunately, he had nearly sliced his own head off when the light-beam ignited a bit too quickly when he combined the two crystals, and it took him a split second to move his head away or he would have got impaled through the brain with the blade. In honesty, the crystal _was_ unstable; it still had some further "taming" to do and in order to do so, Obi-Wan had to listen to the Force as he built the light-sabre to let it guide him to the formation.

"As I said, I just need some further tweaks and then it's done," Obi-Wan argued. "Give it time."

Bultar rolled her eyes. "I don't think it'll be safe for you to use the light-sabre anyway, Obi-Wan."

_This is definitely gang-up-on-Obi-Wan today,_ Obi-Wan thought bitterly, and he heard Sara snigger next to him as she sensed his thought.

Finally, Obi-Wan decided to change the topic. "I believe we are straying from the topic; we need to decide who want to go to Felucia. Not all of us need to go; some of us can stay here and manage some objectives, such as thinking how to train any students should we decide to teach again."

Quinlan opened his mouth to speak, but Obi-Wan cut across him. "Of course, it is your choice; if you want to stay here and let another two Jedi join the Force and do nothing but mope around about the past, then do so. I am going to Felucia to get those two Jedi- even if it's kicking and screaming- here to safety. Right now though, I am going to check Luke and Beru, and make sure the pair is settling in and that Luke is getting what he needs; he is still distressed and slightly undernourished, as is Beru."

He gazed at Bultar. "I trust you to keep an eye on the pair when I am gone off-world; don't let Beru and Luke be alone or go out without disguises. If Palpatine is after Luke, I don't want him at least a hundred _miles_ close to this building without having to move Luke. I trust you will do this Bultar."

He got up, and strode off without another word, heading down the corridor towards his quarters, fists clenched and feeling as though he was ready to explode. The Force depicted his tension, anger and frailty over the situation; he still felt guilty that he had trained, raised and let a murderer live to fight once again- especially if he was going to Felucia as well.

_This time though, I won't hesitate. I'll swipe Vader's head right off his neck._

He inwardly scolded himself for his dark emotions and entered his apartment, moving towards the cabinet that he had stowed the ring inside. Opening the draw, he took the velvet box out and opened it to reveal the jewelled ring under the lid, feeling let down once again.

_It's just not the right time, my former apprentice._

Obi-Wan raised his head, and gazed around to see the familiar orb hovering close to the door. Closing the case, Obi-Wan held it tightly in his hand, before calming himself; now was not the time to lose his temper with his former Master as well.

"Possibly, Qui-Gon," He finally managed to say.

The orb formed his Master, and the taller spirit smiled gently at him. _"I am proud of you, Obi-Wan. You have done so much that I- myself- could not do."_

"I learned from you," Obi-Wan said. "I even inherited your stubbornness, Qui-Gon. And I should have been more careful as a result; otherwise we would not be here right now."

"_You blame me for what has occurred? May I remind you that it was you who trained Anakin," _Qui-Gon argued.

"But who was it that found him? You did. Who was it who disobeyed the Council and went against the Code? You did," Obi-Wan felt his temper rise. "The Will of the Force and the Will of the Council may not agree, but maybe you should have listened this once to what the Council had said; maybe the Force spoke with the Council to say that Anakin Skywalker was _not_ to be trained. Only to be aware that he existed."

"_He WILL bring balance to the Galaxy,"_ Qui-Gon retorted. "_I am always right."_

"Then I guess you lie," Obi-Wan was nearly at shouting mode. "You promised you'd take me to my Knighthood, yet you toss me aside like a rag when you found a more powerful apprentice that you wanted to take all to yourself. You humiliated me in the Council Chamber that day, and you decided to degrade me not soon after when I confronted you about your decision and the Council's wishes."

"_I was doing what I thought was right by the Order,"_ Qui-Gon said, sounding almost desperate. _"What was right for all of us!"_

"I agree," Obi-Wan growled. "But were you doing what the _Force_ wanted? Or what _Qui-Gon Jinn_ wanted? I think it was what _you_ wanted, and you didn't care who got hurt as long as you got what you wanted."

There was now an awkward silence between the pair, and Obi-Wan held the older Man's gaze in defiance.

"If I am to learn the ways to Immortality," Obi-Wan finally said. "You must first prove to _me_ that you are willing to teach me, and _not_ cast me aside should I become a burden to you; I have lost much because of you, Qui-Gon. I am not losing her as well."

Qui-Gon stared at him sadly. "_Sara?"_

"If I am to die, I want her to be safe," Obi-Wan said. "I am not letting her die because of your mistakes in the past."

The spirit sighed (if possible) and then said. "_I will watch over them while you are away. And Luke as well. You are maybe right about him; he is the most powerful Jedi I have ever sensed, aside from his Father. I think he may be the One instead."_

He then smiled. "_Good luck in your proposal to Sara. I am happy for you."_

Obi-Wan- for the first time in a while- smiled as well. "Thank you, Master."

Qui-Gon disappeared, and he was soon left standing, leaning against the cabinet with the ring in his hand. Staring down at it, he was aware of the door opening and averted his gaze towards the entree.

"Are you alright?" Sara asked, a look of worry on her face as she stepped before him.

Obi-Wan sighed, before saying. "I have been stressed recently, because there is something I wanted to ask you. If I am to go to Felucia, I need to know something in case I don't come back."

"Obi..." Sara started, but he interrupted her.

"You are still recovering, and I need you to stay here and help Bultar protect Luke and Beru," Obi-Wan said. "Please, Sara."

Sara hesitated, before finally saying. "Yes. I'll stay, but promise me you'll take either Garen or Vos with you; I'd feel safer if they went with you to Felucia. I can't lose you too."

Obi-Wan half-smiled, and clenched the hidden case in his hand tighter. "And I you."

He took her hand, and then a deep breath, before going down on one knee. Sara looked confused, before realising what was happening when he produced the case, and opened it, revealing the ring inside. A gasp escaped her throat, and her eyes widened.

"Sara," Obi-Wan started. "Will you marry me?"


	42. Part III, Chapter 8

**This chapter was ready, so I decided to just post it up. Enjoy!**

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><p><em>MARRIS' BETRAYAL<em>

Darth Vader sat inside his private shuttle, looking deep within the Force and finding comfort in the dark tendrils that extended towards him. His breathing was laboured without the added support with his helmet, capable of being air tight and storing all the oxygen that his suit produced for him. The scarred cheeks tightened and he found himself in pain, soon opening the ruby eyes and staring at the inside of the walls of his quarters, helmet on the desk next to him.

He never really did like meditating as a Jedi; always restless, always on the move, and always wanting to dash to the front and win.

Winning, that's all he cared about really. He would not stop until he succeeded in getting what he wanted.

He blinked his now sore eyes, causing the burnt skin to swell and get worse, before his breathing soon got too much and he was forced to lift his helmet up, ready to reattach it back onto his suit, and seal the oxygen inside. Staring into the empty eyes, Vader clenched the sides tightly, before raising it above his head, securing it back into the slots with a hiss.

The deadly breathing sounded again from his suit, and he felt the air get sucked out from inside the helmet, soon being filled with what he needed in order to survive. The life-support began beeping, and he was soon ready to stand and walk towards the door, leaving into the corridor and down towards the bridge of the shuttle, hearing the troopers preparing in the room nearby, before entering the bridge.

"How long until we land?" He barked.

"We're just entering the atmosphere," The pilot answered, and Vader nodded, before leaving the bridge and heading to where the troopers were sitting, ready to depart and head towards the ramp. Standing at the door, Vader took his light-sabre into his hand and checked that the crystal was still operational, before the pilot announced over the intercom that they were heading down towards the surface.

Hearing the troopers rush to the loading bay, obviously ready to go, Vader entered the loading bay, and shouted.

"You know your mission! Kill the Jedi and anyone that attempts to harbour them! I won't accept their demise unless you bring me proof of it! Understood?"

"Yes sir!" They shouted, and saluted him.

Vader nodded, and moved through the crowd of white, his black armour contrasting with their own, and towards the front of the group as the ramp slowly began to lower, the ship bumping slightly as it landed on the soft ground. Folding his arms over his chest, Vader watched as the troopers ran past him on both sides, heading into the sounds of fire, roars and death outside the ship. Clenching his sleeves a bit tighter, Vader lowered his hands finally and walked out the shuttle, ignoring a trooper as it fell nearby, before being dragged away.

"Lord Vader!" A clone rushed forwards. "The natives are pushing us back! The Jedi are still in the graveyard, but we are ready to push through."

Vader surveyed the fires nearby, the black smoke billowing into the air, and said. "Very good, commander; I shall lead the assault into the graveyard. Activate your gas canisters and use them to choke the natives to death. I don't want any interruptions or delays; the sooner we get to the Jedi, the more chance we have of killing them."

"Yes, lord Vader," The clone said. "I'll send the order out immediately."

"Do not fail me, commander," Vader warned. "Or it'll be _you_ that will have their head on a pike for failure."

The clone shuddered, and saluted, rushing off into the black smoke. Vader turned to face the clouded pathway, his helmet immediately changing to another vision so he could see where he was going without bumping into anything, displaying the walking, living organisms as red and the flora as blue or purple, depending on the shading that would cover it. Moving his feet, Vader headed straight towards the source of where the most blood-shed and fighting occurred, his hand not going anywhere close to his light-sabre.

He would still have to be alert though; Shaak could be anywhere.

Vader walked through the fire, occasionally shoving a native or clone out his way and towards the area that stank of the Force. When a deafening roar sounded, Vader drew his light-sabre and ignited the crimson blade, using his massive black form as an ambush to ram his light-sabre into the rancor's leg, slicing it clean off and making it fall to the ground.

"Pathetic beasts," He muttered, increasing his stride as he saw a squad of clones rush towards him.

"Lord Vader, squad seven reporting for duty," The first clone said.

"Very good, captain," Vader said, continuing. "Follow me, and keep alert."

The clone nodded and they kept behind Vader, following him towards the skull of the bull rancor before them. Vader could sense Shaak just beyond the skull's entrance, and tensed, his stride becoming more lengthened and waved his head, the troopers going ahead and into the blue miss that emitted from the skull, following shortly behind them.

Igniting his crimson 'sabre, Vader kept his senses alert as he heard a few roars sound from inside, and then...

Blaster fire.

_This is beyond a joke._

Vader gritted his teeth under his helmet and paused as the troopers retreated back towards him, firing continuously at massive felucians, the creatures moving with grace and agility along the wall.

"Fire where they move to," Vader ordered. "Or throw grenades. Either way, exterminate them."

The troopers followed his order, and soon, the natives were dropping to the ground. A couple tackled some troopers, trying to force them to drop their rifles, but Vader just raised his hand, choking them, before letting the troopers shoot them before dropping them. One, however, had survived and was making a desperate bid to try and crawl back the way it came. Walking towards it, Vader slammed his boot on its thin back, and snarled. "Where is the Jedi?"

The native growled, shaking under him, and pointed. Nodding, Vader raised his light-sabre and struck, separating the head from body, before beckoning the troopers to follow him. He could sense Shaak was close, and this time, he was going to take her down.

Ooo

Shaak Ti opened her eyes as the dark presence began to shroud her mind, destroy her happy thoughts and make her feel cold. The Togrutan Master glanced around at Brood, and said.

"He's found us. Go, Marris. Go into the graveyard, and await for me to summon you."

The female Zabrak gazed at her with wide eyes and shook her head in complete defiance, taking a step forwards and joining Shaak at her side.

"I'm not leaving you Master," Brood said firmly, and ignited her twin light-sabres. "And don't force me; I've been waiting for this, and I'm not letting you fight Vader alone. Please, let me help you."

"I cannot let you do this," Shaak said firmly, turning to Brood. "I can't let you face this Sith; you will surely be killed. We are the last of the Jedi; we _must_ survive Marris. Now go!"

The younger female glared at Shaak, and shook her head. "You're not my Master. You have _no_ authority over me!"

That made Shaak's heart break into two; the darkness rising inside her Padawan was now getting too high and there was nothing she could now do to stop her, besides killing her. Shaak had to restrain her, but there was no way she could do so without causing injury to herself, and she needed every last bit of strength to face Vader and win against him. The Sith was powerful, and Shaak knew that she herself would probably die against Vader; there was no harm in trying to take him down, and if she lured Vader towards the Sarlacc pit, then maybe she had a chance to do so.

The problem was convincing her stubborn apprentice to listen to her!

"Marris," Shaak said after a moment. "Please, listen to me; you have your whole life ahead of you. I _need_ to keep you safe. My time has ended, and yours has not; the Force has something else in store for you."

"I am tired of this!" Brood yelled at her. "I am tired of you holding me back from what I can accomplish!"

"Marris..." Shaak started, but Brood just pushed the older Jedi away, and darted towards the dark presence as it gradually got closer. Staring after the Zabrak with shock, Shaak got to her feet, pleading with the Force that she could stop her in time, and ran after Brood, increasing her pace with the Force itself, heart thumping violently in her chest, breathing heavy as she tried to force her aging body to go faster.

Grabbing her light-sabre, Shaak ignited it as she saw the giant form of Darth Vader emerge from the mist, troopers at his sides.

He paused, and surveyed her. "Shaak Ti."

"Darth Vader," Shaak said lowly, gripping her light-sabre tightly. "You dare to show your face on this planet."

"I dare," Vader sneered. "I have waited for this moment. Finally, another Jedi will fall and peace will be even more sweeter! The Sith have risen, Shaak Ti; there is no way to stop us now!"

The troopers raised their rifles to open fire on her, but Shaak just pushed them back with the Force. Vader didn't move, and just walked forwards, his crimson light-sabre ignited and ready.

"MASTER!"

Shaak paused when she heard Brood, and gazed around. "Run!"

Brood shook her head, and rushed forwards. "He's MINE!"

"MARRIS!" Shaak yelled, and reached for her Padawan, only to soon find herself yelling in pain as Brood spun around and slashed at the Jedi Master, burning her right across the stomach. Staggering back, Shaak raised her blade as Brood swatted it aside, and kicked her against the cliff, before turning to Vader.

"I have waited for this," Brood hissed. "For a long time."

A rasping chuckle sounded from Vader's chest, and he said. "You are no match for me, youngling. Stand down, and you shall die painlessly. Simple."

"I won't!" Brood yelled, and lunged for Vader, her twin light-sabres clashing against the crimson blade and pushed at him. Vader just laughed at her feeble attempt to over-power him, just swatting her blades aside and grabbing her around the throat.

"No!" Shaak got up and ran forwards, summoning her light-sabre. "Let her go!"

Vader tightened his grip for a second, and then whispered something before tossing Brood against the wall, a laugh erupting from within his suit. Shaak re-ignited her weapon and ran straight for Vader, ignoring her body as it shook with the blood that was beginning to stain her clothing.

"MASTER!" Brood screamed, but it was already too late; Shaak failed to see the trooper that aimed and fired at her.

The shot struck her leg, making her fall, and then Vader himself slashed at Shaak's chest, leaving a deep wound on her skin. Staggering and then falling, Shaak lay on the ground, breathing weak and difficult, as she managed to see her Padawan rush forwards, the Dark Side emitting from her in large waves.

"Masters..." Shaak managed to whisper. "I'm... Sorry..."

She welcomed the Force; it's tendrils of light engulfing her, ready to take her away from the destruction and to peace.


	43. Part III, Chapter 9

**Here's the next update! Enjoy!**

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><p><em>MASTER AND APPRENTICE<em>

The ship appeared from the depths of space, heading towards the forest planet, surrounded by the Imperial cruisers, plumes of dark smoke visible on the once multi-coloured surface. Sometimes, a fiery red would appear in the darkness that engulfed half the planet, slowly gaining in magnitude as though spreading over the surface.

The two occupants of the shuttle both tensed, and Garen turned to Obi-Wan.

"How could they do this?"

Obi-Wan couldn't help but sigh at Garen's rhetorical question; it was obvious that the Empire was one step ahead of them, trying to eliminate Jedi before they were discovered by the other survivors, and regrouped. The last thing the Emperor wanted, would be to face an army of Force-sensitive, and an obvious public uprising, especially from the non-human slaves that were being collected throughout the Galaxy.

"Because that is what the Empire wants to do," Obi-Wan answered. "Palpatine wants to establish the Slave Empire like the ones previous. By removing the Jedi, he won't have anyone against him, or to stop him."

Garen blew his lips, and steered the ship towards the fleet.

"Don't," Obi-Wan said firmly, and pulled the ship back. "We can't reveal ourselves to them. Just go behind the moon of Felucia, and drop me off at the edge of the night cycle; I'll make my way towards where the Jedi are hiding."

"Good luck mate," Garen whispered, and he steered the ship away from the Imperial fleet that was before them, the pair praying that the scanners would not pick them up. Quickly moving the ship towards the moon just visible near the planet, Garen watched as Obi-Wan got up and went to go and prepare for the surface before gazing out the front screen, wondering if his personal mission had been a success.

Did he propose? Did Sara accept his proposal? Or was he once more let down, thrown aside and broken once again?

Garen could not face seeing his best friend suffer again; he had been through so much recently, and Garen could sense that he was on the breaking point, ready to snap and lose the last ounce of sanity that he had left. Turning back to view the planet and the obvious destruction that was raging on the surface, Garen felt a bit of anger rise through himself, and wondered if there was any way he can go down with Obi-Wan, and butcher any of the troopers that just happened to be in his way.

Closing his eyes, Garen waited for Obi-Wan to contact him and say that he was ready to make his move, leaning back in his seat and staring at the distant stars. For years, he had wandered those stars, but never fully appreciated the beauty that he had seen every time he had seen them outside his fighter or on an undercover mission.

The door opened again, and he gazed around to see that Obi-Wan had changed out of his Jedi attire, and had adopted dark breeches, and long-sleeved top, with a dark red jacket for over the top. His boots had remained, and two belts hung low on his hips- one held a blaster, and the other carried two light-sabres, his new one and Anakin's own.

"Ready to go?" Garen said, returning to the controls.

"Ready," Obi-Wan answered. "Let's do this. And Garen, keep the ship ready; if we need a quick escape, we need it to be ready to get out of here as quick as possible, and to outrun the fleet."

"No bother," Garen said. "Just as long as you're capable of doing this alone; Kamino was tough on you too."

Obi-Wan clenched his fists tightly on his lap. "I'm capable Garen; don't worry about me."

They fell in silence, and the pair stared out the front window as Garen took the ship down towards the night circle of the planet, entering the atmosphere and ignoring the popping of their ears and the light-headedness that they soon acquired. Trained to adjust quickly to the different pressures of the planet, the Jedi quickly doused their mounting sickness and returned to normal via the Force, just as the clouds became dark plumes of smoke and soon, fires emerged into their view.

Garen hovered the ship over a cliff, and Obi-Wan rushed away, heading to the ramp as it was lowered, and leapt out, landing on the cliff, gazing back. Flicking his comm. into life, Obi-Wan kept the channel between him and Garen open in case he ran into trouble, before grabbing his light-sabre and leaping down the cliff, landing on soft ground.

Gazing up, Obi-Wan stared around at the bones, before quickly identifying them with his knowledge of inhabitants of Felucia. Rancors resided in this area, which wasn't good at all; the last thing he needed was to be chased by one and made their dinner!

Masking his presence in the Force, Obi-Wan rushed through the mist, listening carefully for any signs of fighting, and using the Force to pick up any life-signs that could indicate how close he was to their location. When blaster fire sounded to his ears, Obi-Wan increased his pace and leapt up to the top of a massive rancor skull, nearing long, sharp tusks, and powered down his light-sabre.

Crouching low, Obi-Wan gazed over the prominent brow of the skull, and down towards the area where a battle was raging.

Troopers rushed forwards in the direction he was originally coming from, blaster fire and flame taking down anything in their path, the Felucians dropping like leaves to the ground. Obi-Wan felt rage that the troopers were attacking the natives, but quickly doused it down when he looked over and saw the _thing_ leading them.

Vader.

He was here, and close to his position, standing watching as the natives began dying before him, two hunched figures behind him- bound- and guarded by a couple of troopers. The tall black menacing form folded his arms, and barked.

"Kill them all!"

Obi-Wan knew he couldn't wait, and jumped down amongst the fleeing natives, rushing towards one as it was blasted in the back by one trooper. Falling to his knees next to the native, he rested a hand on the native's back, trying his best to not cause pain by touching the blaster wound, and felt the depleting life-force from the native beneath his hand.

"I'm sorry," He whispered. "I am so, so sorry."

"Please," The native whispered to him. "Please... Help... Us..."

Obi-Wan felt tears as the native died before him, and clenched his hand on the back of the native, before looking up. The whole scene around him seem to slow, and all he saw was the death happening around him in slow motion; the natives being butchered, set alight or shot as they tried to flee.

_They're trying to fall back, but the Empire is shooting them!_

He had no choice but to make his presence aware.

Obi-Wan immediately revealed his presence in the Force, and saw- even through the smoke- Vader perk up and tense slightly, staring in his direction...

Grabbing a spear, Obi-Wan got up and threw it at a trooper, watching as it stabbed into a trooper, before pulling his pistol and Anakin's light-sabre from his belt. He didn't ignite the blade though, and leapt through the air, kicking out at another trooper and causing his pistol to fly from the white armoured fists, before igniting Anakin's light-sabre through that same trooper's chest.

"GET HIM!"

Obi-Wan turned, and advanced towards Vader, ready to strike the Sith at all costs. Vader ignited his own light-sabre, and walked to meet him, raising the crimson blade to strike at the aqua one that Obi-Wan held ready to strike back.

Their blades met, and Obi-Wan used his speed to dodge and push the Sith back away from him.

A wire wrapped around his wrist, and pulled it across his chest, almost getting sliced by his blade, before another grabbed his other wrist, pulling it across his chest as well, throwing the light-sabre clean out his hand because of the Force. He sensed two more troopers approach from behind, and wires wrapped around his ankles, almost restraining and pulling him down to the ground.

"BRING HIM DOWN!" Vader roared.

A yank on his ankle told him one of the troopers had tugged on the wire, and he was sent falling to the ground as the other did the same, landing heavily and smacking his head against the ground. Struggling, Obi-Wan glared up at Vader, as he strode forwards.

"Take him back to camp," The Sith growled. "I'll deal with him once we get back. Move!"

The troopers that had Obi-Wan bound nodded in unison, before dragging the immobilised Jedi across the ground.

Vader spotted the light-sabre, and lifted it up, desperate to feel the familiar warmth that always coursed through his body when he had held it as his own...

Instead, he felt nothing but sadness, pain and _death_.

He growled, and turned to follow the others; he had Jedi to either kill or take back to Coruscant for public execution. Either way, the Jedi would die, and he would enjoy each minute of it.


	44. Part III, Chapter 10

**It's only been a day, but here we go! Another update for you!**

**Now, to answer your questions as to whether Sara said yes or no, you're going to have to look through the chapter to see :)**

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><p>THE KIDNAPPING OF LUKE<p>

Garen was snoozing in his chair, head back and eyes closed loosely, arms folded behind his head as he balanced his feet on the edge of the dashboard. He had parked the ship on a Cliffside, and had been waiting or Obi-Wan to make some sort of contact with him for a while now, though unfortunately, he was over-due his report to him.

Garen soon opened his eyes and rubbed the sleep away, looking out the front viewing window before checking the chrono. Now, he was starting to get worried over his friend; he was definitely away for too long, and Garen was starting to also get restless, so he got to his feet and took his utility belt, tying it tight around his waist, before heading into the depths of the ship. Taking his jacket, Garen pulled it on, and activated the ramp, moving out onto the surface of Felucia and staring around.

Gazing around and spotting the black plumes of smoke, Garen rushed towards it, locating Obi-Wan's Force-sensitivity with his own senses, praying to the Maker that his friend would be alright, grabbing his light-sabre and readying to ignite it, gritting his teeth.

Screams sounded to his ears, and he crouched low, crawling through the bushes and towards where he could sense a large mass of life emitting in large frequencies. He gazed over the edge and spotted Imperial camps and shuttles, troopers walking amongst them. Feeling his jaw slowly get clenched, Garen slowly moved down the cliff-side, leaping silently down to the ground when he felt it was safe enough to do so.

Creeping towards a tent, Garen peered around and corner and heard the sounds of speeders, one pulling up. The occupant got off, his black cape billowing behind him, breathing apparatus sounding even above the gun fire and bombings that were dominating the horizon. Garen shuddered when he realised that this was Darth Vader- the Sith that was murdering Jedi, and had a major vendetta against Obi-Wan.

He heard some more speeders, and they stopped near the one that Vader had got off, someone getting dragged by some wires. To his horror, he recognised the red haired individual, his front coated with mud as he was dragged along the ground. Troopers grabbed Obi-Wan by the arms, and lifted him up, pulling the Jedi into the tent that Vader had entered.

Two other Jedi appeared, and were kicked to the ground by the troopers that held them, making Garen almost spring forwards and kill them. He with-held though, and snuck around the tent, creeping closer towards the troopers as they spat or struck the two Jedi with their weapons.

One was violently bleeding, and Garen gasped when he recognised her.

_Shaak Ti!_

The other was a Zabrak- though he didn't recognise her- and Garen could tell she was a Jedi Apprentice. She looked too young to be a Knight, or even so, she would have been just knighted, although, Garen could tell from his experience at the Temple how to tell what Padawan was ready to be Knighted or had just been Knighted.

Tearing his mind away, Garen raised his hand and closed his eyes, hearing the troopers surrounding Shaak Ti and her apprentice choking, their strangled noises struggling to make others aware of what was happening.

With a sickening crack, Garen broke their necks, and rushed towards Shaak and her apprentice as they stared around in confusion. When Shaak spotted him, and recognised who it was, she gasped; hand over a slash to her chest.

"Ga... Garen..?"

Garen checked them for any injuries, and spotted the suppressant bands around their necks. Taking his boot knife, Garen began picking at the lock of Shaak's band first, slowly removing the band before turning his attention to the apprentice's own.

When they were freed, Garen turned to them, and said. "Master Ti, let's get you out of here."

"I'll be fine," She said. "They have Obi-Wan."

"I know; I saw them dragging him into the tent after Vader," Garen said. "I'll go get him; just get out of here."

He turned to her apprentice. "Help your Master out of here. Move!"

The Zabrak nodded, and helped her Master up, arm around her shoulders. Garen watched them disappear into the mass of tents, and turned to the one that contained Obi-Wan. Staring down at the belts of the troopers he had killed and found some smoke grenades on their belts.

Grabbing them, Garen clicked the timers, setting them ready to go off, and headed towards the tent, standing outside it and peering inside. If he was careful, he could sneak in and set the smoke grenades off, and Obi-Wan could escape.

Although, they would then have Vader to handle, and Garen wasn't sure he was strong enough to take down the Sith Lord. Gritting his teeth, Garen shielded his emotions and carefully closed the distance to the gap of the tent.

"It has been a while, my Master," Vader was saying. "You look different. Older in fact; has age caught up to you Obi-Wan Kenobi?"

"Perhaps, Vader," Obi-Wan sounded; he was kneeling before Vader, four troopers holding wires that were wrapped around Obi-Wan, restraining his arms from movement. One trooper stood just before him, and was holding two light-sabres, no doubt Obi-Wan's. "But that doesn't mean my power is any less."

"Yet, I sense your weakness," Vader retorted. "Are you ill, my Master?

"Is that concern?" Obi-Wan asked. "I never thought a Sith could be so merciful."

Vader was then silent, but Garen could almost feel a glare coming from the Sith; it seems that Obi-Wan had pushed the boundary.

The Sith ignited his light-sabre, and Garen felt his heart stop for a moment, dread filling every fibre of his body.

"Goodbye, Obi-Wan," Vader sneered, and he raised his blade to strike.

Garen acted, throwing the smoke grenades at the group, watching as the dark plumes engulfed the entire tent. Grabbing the pair of light-sabres from the trooper's hands, Garen kicked him down and placed them in Obi-Wan's hands.

"Go for it buddy," He whispered.

"Thanks," Obi-Wan said, and Garen rushed out, looking back at the Jedi Master.

The aqua blade, and the new turquoise blade from Obi-Wan's new light-sabre, both crossed, before Obi-Wan spun and the cables were severed, falling from his arms, the blades slashing the necks of the troopers that had once been his captives.

Landing in a crouch, Obi-Wan looked up at Vader as the heads fell from the severed necks of the troopers, their bodies falling shortly after.

"Leave him," Vader ordered the others. "This Jedi, is mine!"

"Garen," Obi-Wan ordered. "Get the ship."

Garen nodded, and rushed back out, gazing back once more to check that Obi-Wan would be alright.

Ooo

Beru jumped awake, sweating violently as she tried to recover from her nightmare, turning and moving onto her side instead of her back, gazing at the crib she had near her wall, containing the now larger baby she still had in her care.

Luke had grown bigger in the short time he was in her care; his head had more blonde hair, messed but visible. His eyes were now a strong sky blue, and his facial features were starting to appear. Approaching his crib, Beru reached over and stroked the baby's head, feeling his sigh as he relaxed underneath her gentle hand, head turning away from her and towards the wall.

Beru smiled at him, before frowning when she heard something beeping nearby.

Realising what it was, she grabbed Luke and ducked down, the window blasting inwards, the wall falling apart as well. Bowing her head over the now crying baby, Beru looked up to see a Duro, and a Mandalorian above her, their pistols pointed straight at her.

A cable exploded from the Duro's wrist, wrapping around Beru's ankles as she tried to run, falling forwards and nearly letting go of Luke in the process.

"SARA!" She screamed, praying the Jedi would hear her from her sleep in the room next to her. "SARA!"

"I'd be quiet, pretty lady," The Duro said, placing his foot on Beru's back. "Or we will harm you and the baby. Simple; now, it's time for you to pay a visit to the Emperor."

Fear rose through Beru's body, as the Duro pulled her up, wire still wrapped around her ankles, ripping the baby from her grip. Turning to the Mandalorian, the Duro tried to place the squirming baby into their grip, only to hear the door burst open as Sara appeared.

"Bane! Fett!" She roared. "LET THE BABY GO!"

"Poor choice of words," The Mandalorian sneered, holding Luke out the gap of the wall, where a large drop towards the lake awaited the baby. "Or, I can just do this!"

He activated his jet-pack, and flew backwards, Luke in his arms.

"LUKE!" Beru screamed, and rushed forwards, only for Bane to grab hold of her, activating his jet boots.

Sara ignited her light-sabre, but Bane placed his pistol against Beru's forehead, and sneered. "I wouldn't do that, little lady; or I'll blast her brains out of her head. Granted, it'll dirty my outfit, but if you don't back down, I will shoot her."

Sara glared, her light-sabre humming, and said. "Take me instead of them; I'm worth even more."

"Oh no," Bane sneered. "No, the Emperor wants the Boy; and I will _gladly_ deliver him for the price."

He fished out a thermal grenade, and activate it.

"Farewell, and congratulations, by the way."

He threw it, and Sara dived away before it blasted the room to pieces, the Duro and Beru disappearing as the Duro flew away. Raising her head weakly, Sara panted heavily, hearing the other Jedi rush into the apartment.

The last thing Sara saw was Bultar, whom she quickly grabbed by the arm, and said. "They... Took him... They took Luke... And Beru... To the Emperor..."

She was vaguely aware of Quinlan and Ferus rushing off at that moment, before she lost consciousness, her hand becoming slack on Bultar's arm.


	45. Part III, Chapter 11

**Well, here's the next update for you. Now, we are reunited with a familiar and famous individual at the end of the chapter, so I hope this meets expectations :)**

**Please leave that important review!**

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><p><em>THE REBEL ALLIANCE<em>

Obi-Wan watched Vader as he stalked forwards, the crimson blade held high and ready while Obi-Wan kept low, Anakin's old light-sabre held in the reverse grip, watching each movement.

Then Vader attacked, slicing for his head, and making Obi-Wan block with his right 'sabre, before slashing the crimson blade out the way and moving quickly around to try and dodge Vader as he began using his wide strokes to hopefully decapitate or remove a limb. Unfortunately for him, Obi-Wan wasn't burdened with the added weight of a metal suit and life support system. Obi-Wan crossed the blades to block Vader's stroke towards his chest, and ducked down, rolling on Vader's back and landing in a crouch.

The Sith turned with a back-strike, making Obi-Wan duck, feeling the heat of the light-sabre as it passed inches above his head, and made to strike Vader through the stomach, only to miss and almost ignite his cape with the light-sabres. Vader aimed a punch towards Obi-Wan's face, only to set his movement too high and miss, making Obi-Wan ram his shoulder into the leather that covered the burned flesh.

Vader roared in agony at the assault on his body, and grabbed Obi-Wan by the front of his shirt, throwing the Jedi onto the strategic table, before following with his light-sabre. Obi-Wan pushed himself back and off the table, watching as the plans and desk were sliced in half and crash to the ground. Turning Anakin's blade back into the proper hold, Obi-Wan crossed them again to block Vader's attack, before twisting his body to try and land a strike against the Sith's back, only to lose his hold on the crimson 'sabre, making Vader able to back-hand and parry.

Raising the two blue blades above his head, Obi-Wan blocked the downstrike, the tent's entrance fluttering behind him, and was opened for a kick to his stomach, flying out of the tent and landing on the ground. Feeling the assault on his stomach bruise slightly, Obi-Wan rolled to his side and got up, watching as Vader walked calmly out the tent, standing before him.

He could have struck him down just then, but had waited for Obi-Wan to recover; it was obvious that he wanted to see the lights fade in Obi-Wan's eyes with his own, to feel the breath of the man leave his body, the coldness to rise through the once living body.

Obi-Wan reignited his light-sabre, hearing troopers rush forwards, rifles being raised to fire when Vader ordered them to stand down. Glaring up at the Sith, Obi-Wan stood in his Soresu stance, ready for the new assault that could follow, breathing still calm and his thoughts collected.

Vader soon charged, and Obi-Wan realised he would have no chance if the Sith collided with him, and quickly side-stepped, twisting his body and slicing part of the cape clean off of the armoured blades. Vader turned back and struck back, the tip of the crimson blade just catching the bridge of Obi-Wan's nose.

Hissing slightly, Obi-Wan stepped back and ignored the stinging sensation from the wound, jumping and twisting in the air to land an aerial strike against Vader's blade, making the Sith block, and try to push the Jedi's blade out the way, only to get it swiped to the side by Obi-Wan's second blade, and then an upward slash that cut through the leather of Vader's right arm, making the Sith growl in frustration and pain as the tip of Obi-Wan's blade cut the flesh.

"An eye for an eye," Obi-Wan hissed, indicating the cut on his own face. "Now, let's finish this."

"Indeed," Vader sneered. "I have waited for this, for a long time."

He raised his hand and Obi-Wan felt the Force close around his throat. Thinking quickly, Obi-Wan released a repulse, blasting the Sith back and the troopers around him, rushing towards Vader to deal the blow that could end his life.

Vader expected it though, and released a Force push, causing Obi-Wan to fly back through a few tents and land on another, crushing the structure. Kicking his legs out and getting up, Obi-Wan gazed around when he sensed something coming closer from behind him, eyes widening when Felucians erupted from the mist around them, some throwing spears and striking troopers.

One shouted in its native tongue, and Obi-Wan stood up as they came behind him, their weapons ready, and some taking the rifles of the dead troopers that they had killed, nodding in gratitude, before facing Vader and the troopers as they appeared, Vader's helmet turning from left to right as he noticed the natives appearing.

"Vader, stand down," Obi-Wan commanded. "Or this will end badly."

Vader gazed at him, and said. "Not when victory is close, my friend. You stand alongside these animals, and therefore will be treated as such; you will die with them!"

Obi-Wan glanced at the natives, and then smiled when they rushed past to engage the troopers, spears flying and blaster bolts igniting the tips of the rifles as they used the modern weapons against their owners. The sounds of fighting rang through the air, and Obi-Wan leapt at Vader again, the turquoise blade clashing with the crimson blade once again, the pair pushing at one another.

When a trooper opened fire on Obi-Wan, he expertly parried the shots back with one hand, before throwing Anakin's light-sabre at him, hearing his yell as the azure blade pierced the white armoured chest. Obi-Wan returned to Vader, and swiftly parried the blade as it came towards his head, before ducking under and summoning the azure blade back to his hand, and bringing both blades up again as Vader slammed the light-sabre down onto him.

Obi-Wan gritted his teeth, and kicked out, almost tripping Vader and got up, slashing before leaping over, summoning a grenade from a fallen trooper nearby. Activating it, he rammed the grenade in the folds of the cloth that dominated Vader's back, and landed in a crouch behind him.

"Missed me, Master," Vader jeered, turning to face him. "How pathetic; I was open for a kill, and you missed it!"

"I didn't miss," Obi-Wan said calmly, and the beeping of the grenade got higher as it made towards its detonation mark. Turning and running from Vader, Obi-Wan heard the Sith roar and grab the grenade, throwing it away before leaping as the explosion sounded, shaking the ground between them.

Landing against the ground, Obi-Wan turned and got up, watching as Vader stood with some of his suit torn and shredded, breathing laboured and dazed, before reigniting his light-sabres once again; he could not keep this up, he would have to flee or kill Vader right now.

The natives were soon overwhelmed, falling back towards Obi-Wan as the troopers encircled them, before Vader raised his hand, and the white Clones stopped, raising their weapons away, and Obi-Wan sent to the remaining natives via the Force for them to halt. Gazing towards Vader, Obi-Wan waited for the Sith to deliver the command that could annihilate them once and for all.

Then, he felt it. A massive vibration in the Force almost made him stagger back, but he quickly shielded his surprise, unsure what to do.

"Master," Vader said his voice low. "Surrender and I will let the natives go without harm."

Obi-Wan gazed at one of the natives, and asked via the Force.

_Are my other friends away? Are the Togruta, Human and Zabrak gone?_

It nodded, and Obi-Wan turned to Vader; he couldn't make a decision of what to do. He could not sacrifice the natives for his own life, and so, nodded and said. "Yes, I'll surrender. Just let them go."

Vader would have smirked if not for the mask, and said. "Kill the natives. Annihilate them!"

"NO!" Obi-Wan roared, and made to rush forwards when he heard a scream through the Force.

_LUKE! LUKE! NO!_

Obi-Wan felt his heart get torn into two, and fear rose through his entire body, something that Vader clicked on immediately. He placed his head to one side, and then said.

"You are scared. What of? Every person you touch will result in deaths, Obi-Wan Kenobi; every person you care about will perish because of you," Vader took a step forwards. "They are nothing but animals, Obi-Wan. Stand away from them, and join the Humans, who are the supreme rulers of the Galaxy; only with the Emperor, can peace be established."

"You are sick," Obi-Wan retorted. "No, I won't join. I would rather die than join some biased, evil corporation that the Emperor set up!"

Vader was silent, and then finally said. "Kill them."

The troopers raised their blasters and rifles, aiming for the Jedi and the natives, fingers on the triggers slowly tightening, the small band of fighters bracing themselves for the death that would soon follow.

Then, a native screeched and pointed upwards, as a few ships descended from the sky, blaster fire raining down, not on the natives and Obi-Wan, but the troopers and Vader. Staring up at them, Obi-Wan saw a familiar small, green figure amongst grey armoured men, wearing white helmets, and then.

All Hell broke loose.

The troopers opened fire on the ships, only to find the ship rain fire on them, while some of the grey clothed men dropped ropes down towards the remaining natives and Obi-Wan, who began parrying shots back towards the troopers. The grey clothed men jumped down, covering them as the natives climbed up the ropes, and Obi-Wan leapt up, landing next to the green figure.

"Master Yoda?" Obi-Wan gasped. "How... When..."

"Left Dagobah, I did, and went to Bail," Yoda retorted. "Told me, he did, of you leaving Tatooine and Luke behind."

"I'm sorry..." Obi-Wan started.

"Been done, the damage is," Yoda said. "Heard someone cry in distress, I have. Luke, in trouble, he is, and need to rescue him, we must."

Obi-Wan nodded, and said. "Where are they taking him?"

"Coruscant, we are to go to," Yoda said. "Information, Bail has received, from a spy; save Luke and Beru from Palpatine, we must, before it's too late."

"I..." Obi-Wan hesitated; he couldn't leave Sara, when they have a Wedding to plan. "Master, I need to tell you... I'm..."

The ship rocked as an explosive struck the side, and Obi-Wan grabbed hold of the side of the ship, sitting against it as the sides closed and air-locked, which meant that the ship was probably entering space itself. Raising his head, Obi-Wan gazed at Yoda as he called some orders, before he closed his eyes.

_Hold on Luke. I'm coming to find you; I'm coming to take you back home; I promise to not let Palpatine hurt you in any way. I promise._

He reopened his eyes when he felt Yoda's gaze on him, and stood up, keeping his expression neutral, and pat his wound to his nose, glad that the wound was not as bad; no blood had leaked and it only stung slightly. Checking his belt to make sure that his light-sabres were still latched, Obi-Wan followed the small green Jedi to the shuttle's bridge, watching as he spotted some smaller cruisers rush between the massive cruisers, picking up the shuttles that were leaving Felucia.

He could sense Vader's rage over his escape once again, but slammed his shields back into place, stopping the Sith from any attempt to try and besiege his mind. When the small shuttle docked at a cruiser, Obi-Wan braced himself as he felt the familiar jolt as the cruiser suddenly halted, before making the jump into hyperspace.

_Now, it's time to rescue Luke._


	46. Part III, Chapter 12

**Well, this is an early update, but I'm trying to get the third book finished as quickly as possible.**

**Please remember that important review! :)**

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><p><em>PALPATINE'S VICTORY<em>

The small fleet was gathered in an area of space after the incident on Felucia, the natives that had been rescued being seen to by the medics, bacta pads and operations occurring for the wounds that had been inflicted. For Obi-Wan, he was just mentally and physically exhausted, and only went into a healing trance when Yoda gently pushed him through the Force to do so, patting the Human's arm before leaving him to sleep on the small bed, and heading out into the corridor to go and meet with Bail.

Grunting as he moved through the white corridor, Yoda was carefully to make sure that he didn't get in the way of the medics as they busied themselves around him, his ears twitching as he listened to the many sounds in both the Living World, and the Force itself, hearing it whisper its Will to him. Pausing for a second, Yoda got his bearings before heading towards the command centre, sensing Bail in there, and entered, watching the Human as he read through a data pad before clearing his throat, announcing his arrival.

"Hello, Master Yoda," Bail greeted, lowering the data pad.

"Hello, Senator Organa," Yoda said. "Well, are you?"

"I am well," Bail said.

"Thank you, I do, for your help getting Obi-Wan away," Yoda said. "Dead, he would have been, had it not been for your aid."

Bail smiled gently, and placed the data pad down. "There are many reasons as to why I had to rescue Obi-Wan from that planet. And you know fine well what they are."

"Hmmm," Yoda hopped onto the chair next to Bail. "Indeed; know of his engagement, I do. Master Jinn, kind he was to tell me."

"And you don't accept it?" Bail asked. "Hasn't he been through enough recently?"

"The Code stands it still does," Yoda said. "Until he rescues Luke, accept this marriage, I cannot. However, unsure, I am as to how we are to rescue Luke from Palpatine's clutches."

"I may have an answer to that," Bail offered, and turned to the seat that was free next to him, lifting up some clothing that resembled the uniform that Bail's guards wore, along with a bag that was big enough for Yoda to climb in and hide should he need to. "Obi-Wan will change into this uniform, and you can hide in the bag. If questioned, Obi-Wan can use the Force to distort their minds and able to sneak you in.

"Palpatine has increased security," Bail continued. "And has turned the Temple into an Imperial Palace for himself; he resides in a throne where the Council chambers once were. They have completely taken away the Jedi artefacts and such, making it appear as though the Jedi Order never stayed there now; it's covered in Imperial flags and such, you name it. Palpatine even has his own Aides and servants staying in the Temple itself; I just wish there was a way for your Jedi to haunt his crazy mind to the end of the Universe and back!"

Yoda chuckled at that. "Maybe so, however, in there, Luke is?"

"I expect that is where he will be taken," Bail said. "Palpatine won't waste any time; he'll make sure that Luke is brought straight to him and killed. I don't understand why he doesn't just turn the Boy to the Dark Side; he's already forming up assassins that he calls Hands, and another group called Inquisitors. Some former Jedi have turned to his side; how do we know that they won't detect us?"

"Hmm," Yoda ran a hand over his cane. "Confused, they are, and thus, easier to take down. As to why, not turn Luke Palpatine will; powerful he is. Luke is too full of good, and only with powerful influence, shall he turn. Too much like Padme, Luke is."

"I pray that you are right," Bail admitted. "As I don't think that we can handle _two_ Skywalkers turning to the Dark Side."

Yoda nodded, before sensing Obi-Wan beginning to wake through the Force, a vibration indicating that the Jedi was slightly unaware as to where he was and what was happening. Turning to Bail, Yoda said. "Awake, Obi-Wan is."

Bail nodded. "I'll alert him to the plan, and give him the change of clothes."

He stood up, but paused, turning back. "Are you sure it's best to not accept his marriage proposal to Sara until Luke is rescued? He'll be down-hearted and definitely feel useless if it is to be so."

"Rescue Luke first," Yoda assured. "And then, perhaps, accept it, I shall; know I do that Obi-Wan will do his duty to the Jedi Order, but protect that which is close to him, I am unsure. Vital it is that this mission succeeds."

Bail nodded. "I understand. As long as you know what you are doing is right."

Yoda nodded. "Right I am. Ready, the Jedi will be soon."

"I will also contact Mon Mothma and the others, and alert them that it is time to defect from the Empire," Bail promised. "They will make an announcement as soon as I know Luke is safe with you and Obi-Wan; that way, we won't have any problems concerning the Empire chasing us and the other Senators off-world."

Yoda couldn't help but agree; the last situation they need was the Senators that were going to help initiate the Rebellion to get assassinated while leaving the Senate and their offices. There was no point in having an ill-conceived attempt at a Rebellion and losing the War before it even begun.

Nodding his consent, Yoda hopped down and followed Bail out into the corridor, grunting as he moved his aged legs towards where Obi-Wan was beginning to stir, pausing at the door and watching the Jedi stretch his arms before sitting up.

"Hello, Obi-Wan," Yoda greeted.

"Master Yoda," Obi-Wan replied, bowing his head. "I am glad to see you."

Yoda smiled, and hopped onto Obi-Wan's bed, patting his knee. "Grown you have, since I have last seen you, my friend."

"Just age Master," Obi-Wan admitted. "I am not even thirty-nine, but I feel like I have aged millennia."

Yoda grunted, and said. "When nine hundred years you are, complain you can about your age."

Obi-Wan winced a bit. "I understand, Master. What is the plan?"

Yoda smiled, and said. "Undercover, we are going to go, and into the Imperial Palace. Rescue Luke while inside, and any other Jedi or innocents that are inside the Palace, before Bail announces to the other Senators to defect from the Empire."

"Bail and the others are taking a large risk," Obi-Wan admitted. "I hope they have thought this through significantly."

"Humph," Yoda shook his head. "Made their decisions, they have; Padme's death has caused this, and now pay for it, Palpatine and his Sith Empire shall. Ready to fight back, we are nearly."

Obi-Wan swung his legs out from the bed, and sat at the edge, staring down at his feet; his boots were next to his bed, coated with mud and blood from the battle of Felucia. There was no way he could just walk in with evidence that he had recently been in a battle.

"Disguises, Bail has," Yoda said. "Easy for us to enter the Jedi Temple, it shall be. Sneak through the ventilation system, I can, and alert you to where Luke could be hiding."

Obi-Wan gazed at him- straight into his eye- and said, "Yes Master. I am ready, and I won't fail you again. I will be in and out of there with Luke before Palpatine could realise what has happened."

"If realise, Palpatine does," Yoda said. "Distract him, I shall, to help you get Luke and the others out. But be wary; Hands will be awaiting should the alarm get sounded."

Obi-Wan nodded, and stood up. "Let's do this Master."

Ooo

Beru didn't know how long she had been asleep for, but when she heard the cell door open and was pulled up to her feet by the Duro Bounty hunter- Luke startling in her arms- she almost refused to move her feet and resist. Glaring at the Duro, Beru ripped her arm out his grip, and said. "I can walk! I have legs!"

"Well, move them little lady," The Duro retorted. "Or I will drag you by your hair to the Emperor himself."

Beru glared straight into his red eyes, but kept her mouth shut, following him as they headed through the corridors of the ship that she had been taken onto. When the ramp lowered and the blinding sunlight struck her face, Beru shielded her eyes and Luke's head, cupping the back of the blonde bangs and keeping his face turned away for protection.

Luke whimpered, and she gazed down to see his sky blue eyes staring up at her, and she smiled in comfort, kissing his forehead.

"It'll be okay Luke," She whispered. "I promise you."

Luke smiled at the words, and nodded, clinging onto her shirt tightly as Beru followed the Duro, hearing the Mandalorian Hunter approach from behind her, and almost stopped in shock at the magnificent structure before her; it was thousands of feet tall, with five spires, the largest in the centre.

Statues stood at the entrance, and as she was led by the Duro and Mandalorian, she couldn't help but stare around at the aesthetic structure, Luke doing the same, before she shuddered when she spotted some dark clothed individuals.

Their eyes were red, and faces pale and drawn, but they carried the same metal cylinders that Beru had seen on the belts of Jedi. Their hands were covered by gloves, and they tightened as the hands clenched tighter, eyes fixed not on her, but the baby in her arms. Luke suddenly whimpered, and Beru felt some coldness rise through her core, as though some sort of Darkness had swept over her and removed each and every individual happy memory from her soul.

"Hands," She heard the Duro mutter. "A bunch of psychotic men and women that the Emperor had turned to his side."

"Are they... You know, able to use the Force?" Beru couldn't help but ask.

One of the cloaked figures chuckled, and the Duro said. "Yes."

Beru swallowed, and brought Luke closer to her chest, as one Hand approached them, his face menacing and a sneer appearing on his face.

"What do we have here?" He sneered, and reached out, brushing a hand against Luke's forehead. Immediately, the baby began screaming, turning away desperately as though trying to escape the Hand's grip.

"Leave him alone!" Beru said, turning away as well, keeping Luke hidden from the Hand's view.

The Hand's mouth twitched into a smirk, and he bore down on the pair. "The son of Anakin Skywalker! My goodness, what a surprise!"

Luke's cries subsided in Beru's arms, but the baby was shaking violently in them, clinging onto her tightly.

"And so full of light," The Hand continued. "No wonder he was affected by my touch."

"Leave him alone," A female sounded, and Beru saw another similarly dressed Woman approach, praying that she would be a bit more sympathetic. "He's to be taken to the Emperor; granted, it might occur with his death."

"He's just a baby," Beru said weakly, and the Hands laughed.

"A baby?" The Male Hand jeered. "Such an excuse won't work on Palpatine, my dear." He turned to the Duro and Mandalorian. "We'll take them from here, Bounty Hunter. Now, beat it."

"Not until we get out pay," The Duro said, taking a step forwards, but the Hand wasted no time as the Duro drew his pistol; with some invisible rope, the Duro was pulled of his feet and landed on the ground, and when the Mandalorian acted, he was grabbed in a Force choke by the Woman, and thrown out the door that Beru had walked through, into the streets.

The Duro followed, and a blast of lightning raced after the pair, shocking them when it struck, and no doubt causing them to fall unconscious. Beru shivered, and took a step backwards, when the Hands grabbed her forearms.

"Now," He said. "Come with us; the Emperor awaits you."

Beru shuddered, Luke mumbling in her arms as the Hands led her through the main hall, red carpet lining the stone-work, and towards some stairs which led into many grand corridors, blaster scorch marks just visible on the stone and towards some doors. The Hand waved his hand and they opened to reveal a cylindrical lift, which Beru was shoved in, followed by the two Hands that had approached her.

One punched the floor number in, and she would have fell if the female Hand did not grab hold of her and keep her steady. Luke had quietened, and was playing with a strand of hair that had fallen from Beru's bun, looking interested in the colour and softness, which made Beru relax slightly; Luke was preoccupied, but she had to keep herself calm and collected to avoid making him worried for her. There wasn't much he could do to help her at the young age he was, and Beru wasn't sure she was strong enough to protect him against Palpatine.

But she had to try.

Beru closed her eyes and took some steady breaths, before feeling the lift slow and then reopened them, watching as the doors opened to admit her and the two Hands into a circular chamber with a few seats and many windows that viewed the vast City that dominated Coruscant's surface. She was shoved out, and the male Hand strode towards the door at the other end, entering.

The female Hand stayed outside with Beru, her eyes watching the other Woman as Beru tried to calm Luke when he began to whimper, bobbing him in her arms and making hushing noises. Luke closed his eyes and rested his forehead against Beru's shoulder, demanding comfort from the older Woman. Beru rubbed his back, and kissed the mop of blonde hair, burying her face into it and sighing heavily, feeling glad that she had him.

Finally, after what felt like hours, the door opened, and the male Hand appeared, nodding to his partner. The female grabbed Beru by the arm and took her to the door, the male Hand pushing them open and going inside to reveal the chamber- occupied by a large, grand throne- on the other side, a hooded figure sitting in the plush cushions.

Beru instantly recognised them as the one that had attacked the Farm, trying to kill Luke, and tried to back off, only to find the Hand behind her stop her.

The figure looked up, and smirked, a cackle escaping his throat. "Welcome, Beru Lars."

Luke whimpered, and the figure gazed at the baby. "And Luke Skywalker, son of Anakin Skywalker. I have been expecting you, little one. I hope you recognise me from the farm, because I- Palpatine- will be the last person you ever see after this day."


	47. Part III, Chapter 13

**Once more, this was going to be one bit chapter, but I broke it down once again, like in the second part.**

**Thanks for all the reviews so far!**

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><p><em>BREAKING IN<em>

Coruscant had not changed much compared to when Obi-Wan was last here; it was still covered in the many vast fields of skyscrapers, endless lines of speeders and star-ships criss-crossing the skyline and beyond the smog that had formed in the atmosphere. His eyes noted the Senate building in the distance- their destination- and the grand walkways that led towards it, decorated by moving, multi-colours, and the tall statues and bushes that adorned the borders, leading towards the domed building. Further away, he could just make out the Jedi Temple, the smoke that had once billowed from the magnificent structure now completely gone.

For Obi-Wan, he almost ended up sobbing as he remembered all those that were killed inside, bodies still and cold, a result of what the Sith had managed to accomplished, but that only strengthened his resolve into trying to rescue Luke and Beru before Palpatine could kill them; that was his mission right now, and not to grieve over who had been lost.

Taking a deep breath, he calmed himself as he took the helmet of the disguise that he was now inside, placing the helmet on and swung the dark cloak over his shoulders. He had argued that the disguise that Bail had chosen was too conspicuous, and had opted for the more, fully armed guard approach instead. Yoda would be hidden in a bag carried by one of Bail's officers, and was already grumbling as he slowly went in, before he was covered and the secret compartment was sealed off to the light. Taking the rifle that Obi-Wan needed to complete his disguise, the Jedi Master walked out into the corridor and followed Bail towards the ramp as the small shuttle began its descent on the platform just outside of the Senate building.

Gazing at the Senator through the visor on his helmet, Obi-Wan closed his eyes and took some calm breaths, before nodding to the Senator that it was time to make their appearance. Bail ordered for the ramp to be lowered, and it was, the Senator flanked by some of his men as he descended, Obi-Wan following and keeping a close eye on the man that had Yoda concealed in his bag, and blinked as the light from Coruscant managed to enter into the helmet. The smell of the traffic and city emitted into his helmet through his vents, and Obi-Wan shouldered his rifle, gazing at the Temple in the distance; he needed to work out how to get over there without arousing suspiscion, as it would be unusual for an Alderaanian Guard to head over to the Emperor's Palace without good reason. He was aware of Bail's gaze on him, and nodded, the Alderaanian Senator leading him towards a shuttle that would take him through the Senate buildings and to the main debate chamber.

"I'm going to get the driver to drop me off, and he'll take you to the outskirts of the Temple's radius," Bail said, once he was sure that it was safe to do so. "I'll go to the other Senators, and alert them that their lives are in danger; once Palpatine knows that you have had help us get onto the planet and into the Temple, he'll send his special units to take care of you. As in kill."

"I know the risks, Obi-Wan," Bail said. "Just make sure that you and Yoda get those two out, and then off planet as soon as possible."

"So we have to find a ship?" Obi-Wan asked, downcasted; he had hoped that the escape would be easier than getting inside.

"I can't let Palpatine see that the Alderaanians are involved in any way," Bail said, as they entered the escort bus and took their seats. "The last option I need is to hand Leia over to Palpatine once he discovers she is Force-sensitive."

Obi-Wan nodded, and tugged at the collar of his armour, wishing that he could soon take it off; it was starting to make him sweat, and he hated how constricting the whole outfit was to him, added to that of his black fatigues. Hearing the transport start and rise into the air, Obi-Wan gazed out into the City, and blew a breath out through the vents, before finally hearing Bail say.

"You can take that armour off."

Obi-Wan did so, hurriedly stripping it off and chucking it on the ground, shaking his hair from his face. Grabbing the bag that concealed Yoda, he unzipped the main, and then the secret compartment, Yoda carefully getting out and sitting next to him. Taking the grey tabards that were also in the back, Obi-Wan hurriedly pulled them on, and tied a cloth around his waist, stowing his light-sabre in the fabric and turning to the pair.

"Okay, run this through me. The Hands," Obi-Wan said. "Dark-Side users, able to wield light-sabres, and are specialised assassins?"

"The Inquisitors are the problem," Bail said. "They're the more powerful users, but obviously, Palpatine would have a way to make sure that they are taken care of should they get _too_ powerful."

Obi-Wan pulled a face, and Yoda said. "Once taken down, we are, sneak in through the underground passages, we must."

"If Palpatine has not closed them," Obi-Wan said. "We could use the vents; didn't Bane manage to enter via one to steal the Holocrons?"

"Hmm," Yoda ran a hand over his head. "Or through that way, we can."

Obi-Wan nodded, and turned to Bail. "Once you have told the Senators of the plan, get them to a safe location; we can't accommodate them at the River House with all the injured Jedi there, and it would not be wise should the Empire comes calling."

"I understand," Bail answered. "Mon Mothma will be the most important one that _must_ get away, and the troops we need to be supplied by a friend off-world."

Obi-Wan sighed, and ran a hand through his hair. "If the Emperor enters the fight- should one arise- we cannot defeat him without equal grounds, and the risk of Luke getting hurt in the process will be too great."

"Wanting to kill Luke, Palpatine does," Yoda reasoned. "Will do anything, to do so, he shall."

The bus slowed, and Bail looked up, glancing outside the window before saying. "This is my stop."

"Good luck, Senator," Obi-Wan told him. "I hope you get to them in time."

"I will," Bail said, before smirking. "Providing that you two remain discreet."

Yoda chuckled, and the Senator got off the transport, his robes billowing as he headed towards the domed structure that was now closer, each and every individual member of the Senate or guard now visible. Obi-Wan felt the unwelcome rise of nerves, and gulped, nodding to the driver for them to start moving.

The bus soon moved away, heading towards the Jedi Temple in the distance, only to stop a mile away, lowering down into the shadows of an alleyway, doors opening to let the Jedi jump out. Gripping the door tightly, Obi-Wan did just that, flipping and landing as a crouch on the ground, before Yoda landed just next to him, cane held tightly in one hand.

Nodding, Obi-Wan reached down and the Jedi Grand Master held onto his shoulders, peering over them as Obi-Wan ran through the shadows, so quick that if any of the inhabitants turned and saw them, they were gone within the next second, as Obi-Wan focused on quietly and quickly moving towards the Jedi Temple. Leaping up onto the top of a building, Obi-Wan gazed towards the Temple, and scanned the surrounding area for anything threatening, only to see Clones roaming around, marching through the streets and some heading towards the Temple.

Obi-Wan glanced back at Yoda, before saying. "If we're quick, we can get to the main vent."

Yoda nodded, and Obi-Wan leapt down, before running to the edge of the alleyway, peering around the corners to check if anything was able to see their entrance, or if anything was heading in their direction. Moving back into the shadows when he saw a couple of Clones pass, Obi-Wan double checked before running towards the high platform of the Temple, leaping up.

He crouched down when he saw a squad of Clones, moving towards the shadows, and gently placing Yoda down onto the ground, kneeling down.

"The main vent is just above our head," He said, pointing. "Two jumps maximum."

Yoda nodded, and gazed up. "Time it right, and grab a ledge, we can, before jumping again. Able, are you?"

"I have to be," Obi-Wan admitted, standing straight. He helped Yoda back up onto his back, before concentrating; building up his Force energy, before pushing himself high into the air through a Force jump, reaching up and grabbing a hold of the ledge many feet above them. Shuddering, he forced himself to not look down at the sheer drop beneath him, before digging his feet into the wall, and pushing himself up into the air again.

His hands grabbed the edge, and he felt Yoda jump up off his shoulders first before pulling himself up. Staring up at the heavily, stone grates, Obi-Wan heaved a sigh, and gently placed his hand on the latch, lifting it up slowly, before reaching around and through the bars, touching a switch that was present, only noticeable for those who knew it was there, and pulled the lever, hearing the massive grate move and slowly slide back.

Obi-Wan and Yoda both entered, and stared around at the different directions that greeted them.

"This is farewell, Master," Obi-Wan said. "I'm heading up to the Council Room; there is no doubt that Luke is up there."

"Good luck," Yoda said. "Faith, I have in you, Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan smiled, and then darted off to the right, knowing he needed to head to the main vent that moved up towards the Council room. Hearing Yoda and feeling his presence grow fainter, Obi-Wan skidded and slowed as the space he had suddenly grew smaller, before he was forced to crawl through the vent on his belly towards the main.

He saw some grates, and peered through them to see dark clothed individuals moving around, sometimes Senators appearing, sometimes servants, and continued on, pausing when he felt a rustle of wind, indicating he was getting closer to the location he needed to get to. Pausing when he came to the edge, Obi-Wan stared down at the many mile drop that headed straight to the underground tunnels, and then upwards, knowing that it was heading up into the main tower- the centre tower- and grabbed the ladder, beginning his ascension to the main tower.

And towards Luke.

Ooo

Beru shivered as she knelt before Palpatine, Luke held tightly in her arms, and refusing the look at the Emperor as he stood up and approached the pair stiffly. She felt his gnarled hand cup her chin and raise her gaze towards him, but she couldn't stare in his eyes without fear rising.

"Why do you want to kill Luke?" She whispered. "He has done nothing wrong."

"Bar exist, my dear," Palpatine sneered. "I cannot allow the son of the Chosen One to remain living any longer; he is a massive threat to my rule. I can't let a powerful youngster grow up and being a threat towards me."

"He's just a baby," Beru whispered.

"As if that will change my mind," Palpatine said a mock tone in his voice. "All the easier to kill him before he becomes a man; once he becomes eighteen, he will be unstoppable to me."

Beru shook her head, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. She managed to stand up, facing the Emperor, and said. "You won't harm Luke, not long as I live."

Palpatine laughed at that, and said. "My dear, you have nothing you can use to defeat me! What chances have you, a non-sensitive individual, against a fully trained Sith Master, that has, with only a few words, destroyed the Jedi Order? Who has managed to imprison the Galaxy, and now everyone is crawling to me, begging and unable to stop me?"

Beru couldn't answer, but she knew that she had managed to push Palpatine back at the farm, and she could do it again. She bit her lip, and gazed down at Luke, the baby blinking up at her with his blue eyes.

"Such a handsome boy," Palpatine murmured, and reached out towards the baby Skywalker, only for Beru to slap his hand away.

"He's had enough distress for one day," She retorted. "You won't touch him, or I _will_ resolve to violence against you, mark my words."

Palpatine just cackled again, before raising his hand and Beru found something invisible tighten around her throat, and she gagged, a hand coming up towards it. Luke was starting to cry, realising that something sinister was at work on his aunt, and struggled, making Beru almost drop the infant, only for her to fall to the ground, choking violently. Luke wailed before her, his small hands touching her face as though trying to see if she was alright, but Beru couldn't do anything to calm him, not while she was struggling to breathe, and rapidly losing consciousness.

Palpatine was laughing, his hand slowly tightening, and only causing Luke's wails to increase in volume.

"Once you're gone, I'll kill the boy," Palpatine sneered. "I'm granting you an easy escape; it means you won't be able to watch as I kill your nephew!"

Ooo

Obi-Wan had been climbing for such a long time now that his knees and arms were starting to get tired, but he pushed himself until he felt the ladder curve and pushed himself into the last vent that he knew deposited outside the Council Chambers- or what was left of it. He crawled towards the grate, and peered out, using his Force senses to try and locate any hidden enemies that could be away from his view.

There were two Hands in the corridor, both chuckling, while the sounds of what appeared to be an infant wailing emitted from the room. Anger boiled in Obi-Wan's blood, and he grabbed his light-sabre, raising a hand and ready to time his appearance.

With a blast of the Force, the grate flew off and struck the female Hand in the head, making her gasp and stagger back against the wall, her hand over her head. Obi-Wan jumped down, and ignited his light-sabre, the other Hand rushing forwards to greet him, igniting a crimson light-sabre immediately.

Obi-Wan parried the blow, and struck back, ducking low and spinning, only to cause the Hand to flip over him and nearly strike his back. Turning, Obi-Wan Force-pushed the Hand against the wall, before tightening his grip around the air, choking him, and then throwing him against the female Hand, the blow knocking them both against the wall and out. Summoning their light-sabres, Obi-Wan cut them with his own, before turning to the door, rushing forwards and trying to push it open.

It was locked.

Obi-Wan slammed the blade of his light-sabre into the door, and began turning it in a full circle, easily cutting through the polished wood as though it was paper, before twirling the light-sabre out and kicking the carved hole clean off, watching it clatter to the ground.

A horrific sight appeared before him.

Beru was motionless, hand around her neck, while Luke wailed against her, wriggling desperately as Palpatine choked Beru, his other hand emerging, the finger-tips lighting up in the familiar glow that Obi-Wan had seen with Dooku; he was going to electrocute Luke, and with the infant in such a young stage, it was obvious he would not survive the encounter.

Obi-Wan wasted no time, and dived before Beru and Luke as the lightning emerged, turning his blade in a horizontal position and parrying the bolts away and back to Palpatine, who released the Force-choke with a cry of anger, turning his attention to the Jedi that was now in his way. Obi-Wan blinked frantically as he tried to see past the lightning, as it increased in magnitude and gritted his teeth; the power behind Sidious was phenomenal! There was no way he could hold him off much longer without damaging himself!

"Beru! Go!" He yelled, as the woman struggled to get up. "GO!"

Beru grabbed Luke in her arms, and tried to get up again, only to fail. Obi-Wan was aware of the two Hands rushing in that he had encountered in the corridor, and suddenly, Palpatine stopped the lightning.

"Put your weapon away, Kenobi," He sneered. "You are outnumbered, outmatched and with two innocent lives in your hands, I think it would be wise if you put your weapon down."

Obi-Wan glanced back at Luke and Beru, who cowered behind him as the Hands aimed pistols at them to further complicate the situation, and sighed heavily. He didn't have a choice anymore.

Extinguishing his weapon, Obi-Wan replaced it on his belt and held his hands up- palms out- in surrender. Palpatine's lips curled into a twisted smile, and he said. "That's a good Jedi. Now, I will do what I should have done years ago... And that is killing you. Once you're gone, I will destroy the Hope, and anyone else who threatens my-."

He never finished; the Hands suddenly yelled as blaster shots rang, and smoke erupted into the room. Coughing, Obi-Wan ran to Luke and Beru, pulling the pair up and into his arms, shielding them as the Hands gathered around Palpatine, protecting him as two figures appeared from the smoke.

One was fully encased in emerald armour, and ran straight to Obi-Wan, Luke and Beru without hesitation, while the other kept his head bowed, large hat obstructing his face from view.

"If you're gonna kill a Jedi, Child and a Woman, then quit with the gloating and just do the job, like a man," Cad Bane said. "When I signed on for this job, I didn't want to believe you would kill an innocent baby, but now, after what I've seen... I won't let this happen."


	48. Part III, Chapter 14

**Well, here's the next part of the chapter before (obv) that I had cut so it would be easier to read. And also, if we're lucky, the fic will have made the 100,000 words mark! It'll be my first fic to have done so :) **

**Enjoy, and thank you all for the reviews so far!**

* * *

><p><em>ESCAPE FROM CORUSCANT<em>

Obi-Wan tensed up, his hand grasping his light-sabre tightly, eyes boring into those of the female Hand and male Hand, who were turning their own light-sabres in their hands, eyes boring into his own, as though all three were waiting for who would snap first, and make the error of attacking. As the Master of patience, Obi-Wan was able to wait for his opponent to make a move- or mistake- before he struck, and right now, he was hoping that the Hands would do just that; over-estimate their abilities and strike, only to realise too late that Obi-Wan was the Master of Soresu.

Not only a Master, as Mace Windu continuously said, but _the_ Master of Soresu.

Obi-Wan was aware of his heart beat filling his ears, his breathing heavy and deep, calming himself down and relaxing his tense and sore muscles for the fight that was rising up between the three sensitives as they waited for the command or opportunity to strike one another. The Jedi Master could feel Bane's fingers crack as the bones inside twitched, hands against the holsters that contained the pistols the Duro would soon be firing at the two Hands and Palpatine.

Behind him, Obi-Wan could hear Luke mumble, and Beru whisper in comfort to him, before, finally, the Female Hand snapped.

She ignited her blade and lunged for Obi-Wan, who ignited his own blade and struck back, parrying the crimson beam and pushing her back, the male Hand also breaking and rushing forwards, swiping for Obi-Wan's back as he crouched. The sound of pistol fire rose to his ears, and Bane darted past, heading towards the male Hand who began to parry the shots back, the dark user advancing towards the Duro.

Obi-Wan leaned back and rolled away as the female Hand arched her blade towards him- in the wide strokes of Djem So- and the Jedi Master knew he needed to be quick and nimble if he wanted to get past the wide attacks in order to land a strike on her. Jumping up, Obi-Wan drew Anakin's light-sabre, and twirled both into the reverse grip, before charging towards the female Hand. Her face scowled, and she changed tactics, realising why he had drawn another blade, and changed stance, moving with the quickness of Juyo, her strikes nearly causing Obi-Wan to lose grip on his light-sabres.

Soresu only worked so far with Juyo, but Obi-Wan kept going, pushing himself to try and get past her inexperienced blade work; compared to him, the female wasn't as good, and soon, Obi-Wan was gaining ground, pushing the female Hand nearer the wall, soon swiping at her undefended side. She gave a hiss of pain as the tip of his turquoise blade burned through and slashed her, before he followed with his second light-sabre and nearly caught her heart, had she not moved to the side.

Unfortunately, this left him open, and he hissed as her blade just touched his back, before ramming her stomach with his shoulder, knocking the wind out of her, before grabbing her wrist and throwing her against the ground over his out-stretched leg, smacking her against the ground.

Her leg came out, and Obi-Wan found his ankles get swiped out from underneath him, landing on the stone floor with a crack as his elbow caught it. Luckily, it was just knocked, and he pushed himself back up with his hands, kicking at her stomach as she stood above him, ready to deliver the deadly blow. Obi-Wan tried again with the physical brawl, grabbing her sword-hand with his own and throwing her back onto the ground, clamping his arm around her neck, holding her sword-hand away from her and him, choking her in the hope that she would black out from the lack of air.

Her struggles were becoming less vigorous, and Obi-Wan increased his grip, using the Force to check if it was a ruse or she was slowly losing consciousness. He gazed up at Bane, the Bounty Hunter using his athletic skills and technology to keep the other Hand at bay, pistol fire and smoke emitting from the duelling pair as the Duro and Human fought tooth and nail for dominance, trying to force the other to back down or kill them.

Obi-Wan was aware of the Hand falling limp in his arms, and got up, grabbing her weapon and igniting the blade, hating the crimson colour as it illuminated the chamber as well with the male Hand's own blade. Gazing up, Obi-Wan took a deep breath.

"Bane! Duck!" He yelled.

The Duro did so and Obi-Wan rushed forwards, the male Hand believing that the Duro had tired out and raised his weapon high, ready to sink the other crimson light-sabre into his back. Gaining speed, Obi-Wan closed the distance, the Hand turning and realising too late that he could not stop the Jedi, as he swiped with the light-sabre, throwing it like a spear into the Hand's chest, the weapon flying right through and sticking into the wall behind him.

The Hand fell to the ground- dead- and Obi-Wan turned to Palpatine as the Emperor glared straight at him, Bane aiming his pistols at the gnarled faced old man, a glare on his features. Hearing Beru get up, Obi-Wan nodded at Bane before rushing to her, taking her into his arms as the woman began crying, Luke chirping and tugging at her hair, worry on his features.

"Hey, it's okay," Obi-Wan said gently. "It's okay. Let's get you out of here."

Beru raised her head, and nodded, Luke glancing between them, a toothy smile on his face. Gently, Obi-Wan prised Luke from her grip, holding the baby in his own arms, while Fett took Beru out into the corridor. Turning to Bane, Obi-Wan nodded, and the Duro backed off, following the Jedi out.

"I should kill you," He sneered to Palpatine. "But I'll book you in for a killing later."

"You're not leaving," Palpatine took a step forwards. "Not alive, at least. Hand me the Boy, Kenobi, and you and the others can go free."

Obi-Wan ignored him, hitching Luke better in his arms, moving towards the lift as he heard it ascend once Fett had pushed the button. No, he would not leave Luke behind, but his duty was resurfacing, and he wondered if he should go and kill Palpatine now and spare Yoda or Luke the job in the future. The only problem was that he lacked the Force-skill and 'sabre-skill to best the Sith Master with one-on-one combat, and now would be the best time to leave.

There would always be another time.

"I'll still get him, Kenobi!" Palpatine threatened. "I'll find out where you and the others have been hiding, and as long as I live, Luke Skywalker will suffer in every way imaginable; his children will suffer, and their children and their children... I will make sure that every Sith I have that is worthy to face him will receive the order to go after Skywalker and exterminate every member of his blood-lines!"

Obi-Wan paused at that, and turned to face Palpatine. "In order to do so, you will have to find us first. And even then, I won't rest until Luke is safe and sound- even if it kills me."

Palpatine smirked, and said. "Are you ready to die, for example, now?"

Obi-Wan knew what was coming, and bowed his head and hunched up as Palpatine raised his hands, lightning ready to emerge from the fingertips. He closed his eyes, and drew Luke close to his body to shield the baby from the power, turning his back to Palpatine as Bane yelled, the familiar cracking of the Force Lightning dominating his ears, the heat of the bolts swarming around Obi-Wan and Luke, the baby screaming in his arms. Obi-Wan fell to his knees, the lightning coursing through his body, using the Force to shield Luke from the onslaught, pleading that someone-anyone- was coming to help them escape from this monster, that someone would step in and stop Palpatine.

His body was quaking- weakening- and Obi-Wan fell to his side, Luke clutched tightly to his body. Lying on the plush carpet, Obi-Wan panted as the lightning finally stopped, his vision slowly returning, and then fading as though he began to battle himself to remain conscious, his limbs frozen even though he tried to push up, arms still around the Hope in his arms. He was vaguely aware of Luke patting his cheek, and stared into his sky blue eyes as the baby blinked at him, confusion in his innocent features.

Obi-Wan gave a weak smile, and gazed around to see the state of the others; Bane was unconscious nearby- having got the worst as he was closest- and Beru was breathing quickly, whimpering in pain while Fett seemed to also not be moving, the metal in his armour acting as a conductor for the electricity as it would have streamed straight to him after going through Bane and Obi-Wan.

He was aware of a light-sabre being ignited, and gazed up to see Palpatine walk towards him, holding a very fancy light-sabre, the crimson light a deep shade, a smirk on his face as he approached the immobilized Jedi and the squirming baby in his grip. Obi-Wan felt panic besieged him, and tried to move his limbs once again, only to fail.

"I'm sorry, Luke," He whispered to the baby, and closed his eyes, waiting for the deadly strike that would end both his and Luke's life in one blow.

Suddenly, he felt Luke scream, and opened his eyes, staring in shock as the baby raised his hands and with some strong, invisible Force, threw Palpatine right back into the Council Chamber, the Emperor crashing into his throne and over-turning it. Obi-Wan gazed down at the baby as he lowered his hands, swaying in Obi-Wan's arms; the effort had taken much out of Luke, but what amazed Obi-Wan was how _powerful_ the baby was to have thrown a fully grown man away. Such a feat was easy for powerful Jedi such as Yoda, Mace and Anakin himself.

Obi-Wan, finally, managed to push himself up and pull himself to the wall, holding the now exhausted baby in his arms, whispering comforting words to him, before standing up. Obi-Wan gazed at Palpatine as the Sith staggered up, no doubt surprised and amazed at the power that Luke had used to throw him with the Force at such a young age. Carefully, Obi-Wan placed Luke down on the floor, told him to stay put, and rushed towards Palpatine, grabbing his light-sabres and igniting them; he had the chance now, and he was going to take it.

Palpatine cackled as he saw the Jedi coming, and parried the two blades, before saying, "I had must admit, the Boy is powerful!"

Obi-Wan struggled against the Sith as he began delivering quick, agile strokes that were not mirroring his age, but his skill and power. Thrice, Obi-Wan was struck with small burns on his arms, staggering back as Palpatine began to bear down on the Jedi Master, easily working through his Soresu movements with power, soon cornering the Jedi. With one large strike, Palpatine smacked Obi-Wan's blades to the side, the pair of light-sabres smacking against the wall and deactivating.

Palpatine cackled, and sliced at Obi-Wan's neck, aiming to behead the Jedi Master.

Only to find his crimson blade stop just inches away, shock on both the Jedi and Sith's faces.

"Kill another, you shall not!" A familiar voice sounded.

Obi-Wan gazed around, and sighed in relief when he saw Yoda standing there, a claw raised and stopping the light-sabre from beheading Obi-Wan. Ducking away, Obi-Wan moved away from Palpatine and rushed towards Luke, Beru now getting up and the two Bounty Hunters slowly moving themselves. Obi-Wan picked Luke up, and gazed to Yoda.

"We need to get out of here, Master," He said.

Yoda nodded, and said. "Discovered something, while on my journey to the security, I did. Not alone here, we are."

Obi-Wan made to ask, when he heard a ship approaching. He gazed around to see a shuttle- similar to the one they had on Naboo, or maybe the same one- slowing as it came towards the central tower, the ramp opening to reveal a familiar dark haired man standing, waiting.

He indicated for them to move away from the window, and Obi-Wan did so, Ferus aiming a pistol at the window, firing two shots and blasting the glass out of the frame. Obi-Wan smiled at him, before gazing at Bane and Fett, carefully placing Luke in Beru's arms.

"Fett, take her over with your jet pack, and Bane, you go with them," Obi-Wan ordered. "Hurry, before the Guards and Hands come up!"

Bane made to protest, but Fett shook his head and gently took Beru into his arms, activating his jet pack. Luke immediately burst into giggles, finding it humorous as the Mandalorian flew him and Beru out of the shattered window, Bane following with his rocket boots, both landing easily on the ramp of the ship.

Obi-Wan turned to Yoda, and nodded, before pushing his hands out at Palpatine, throwing the Sith from his frozen position back into the wall, before grabbing Yoda and running to the window, just as the lift announced its arrival, summoning his light-sabres back to his hands. The doors opened, and a few guards emerged, raising their rifles, ready to fire at the two Jedi, only to find pistol shots and rifle blasts strike them, causing the guards to go for cover.

Obi-Wan increased his power and leapt through the air, landing on the ramp and staggering forwards, Yoda flipping off and landing nearby as Obi-Wan fell forwards, panting heavily.

"Face Sidious, you should not have," Yoda sounded. "Not ready, you are."

Obi-Wan just nodded, too tired to protest, hearing the ramp close and the ship increase its height and speed, no doubt veering for the atmosphere of Coruscant. Running a hand through his hair, Obi-Wan gazed up at Ferus and asked. "Who else is here?"

"Quinlan is piloting," Ferus answered as Obi-Wan got up, ignoring Bane and Fett as they glowered; they were no doubt unhappy over losing the ship they had to get to the Temple, but it was too risky to turn back and drop the pair off.

"Right. Let's get out of here, and drop Bane and Fett at the nearest pirate planet as soon as possible," Obi-Wan said. "They'll get paid for rescuing Luke, I can assure."

Bane just scowled. "Depends how much, Jedi."

"Hmm," Obi-Wan ran a hand over his beard. "I'll tell you when we get there."

Bane scowled again, and he and Fett strode off, Ferus following to keep an eye on the pair, while Beru, Luke and Yoda went to the small relaxation area. Obi-Wan rushed towards the bridge, taking the co-pilot seat next to Vos.

"Handling everything alright?" He asked, belting himself in.

"Yes," Vos said. "We've broken into the atmosphere, but the problem is getting past the cruisers; no doubt the Emperor has called for some to capture us."

"I know," Obi-Wan answered. "Let's just get ready for a fight. We'll know what we're up against once we get through these clouds."

Vos nodded in agreement, turning his attention to the main viewing window, speeding the ship up and therefore their ascension. Taking a deep breath, Obi-Wan braced himself for what could appear at the other side, and his grip tensed on the steering handles, eyes scouting the clouds as they began to thin and the darkness of space appeared.

Along with three cruisers.

"Kriff this!" Vos cursed loudly, and steered the ship away as the cruisers opened fire on them, desperate to lose them at all costs.

Obi-Wan flicked some controls, before activating the speakers to announce to the rest of the ship.

"Everyone, buckle in; we have company!"

He heard everyone move around in the compartment behind him, and Obi-Wan turned his focus to the ship controls, and helping Vos evade the cruiser fire. Gripping the steering handles tighter, Obi-Wan pushed the ship onto its side, evading one shot that would have taken the wing and cripple their ship completely, before Vos returned the ship back to normal, gritting his teeth as an explosion sounded and the ship rocked violently.

Obi-Wan flicked a couple more switches, while Vos checked the co-ordinates for a system close to Naboo- yet would not reveal their location to the Empire- placing them in for the hyperspace jump. Taking over the steering, Obi-Wan made the ship dive, Vos muttering curses as the ship rocked once again.

"Listen, we need those co-ordinates, and we need them fast!" Obi-Wan said firmly. "Hurry!"

Vos' hands were shaking near him, as the symbols for the random system he was trying to get the co-ordinates for began to emerge on the screen. The ship shuddered and got into position, Obi-Wan aware that the cruisers were gaining on them; within a few minutes, they would be in range of the tractor beam, and pulled into the colossal ships, or held in position and blasted out of the sky. Praying to the Maker that Vos would be nearly done, Obi-Wan accelerated, reaching out to the lever to engage in the jump.

"NOW!" Vos yelled suddenly. "I HAVE THE CO-ORDINATES! NOW!"

Obi-Wan pulled the lever, and the ship lurched, the bright lights of hyperspace illuminating the bridge, the Force erupting in anger and fury, as Palpatine sensed their escape. Resting his forehead against the control panel for a moment, Obi-Wan took some steady breaths, before raising his head again.

"I have to tell you though, mate," Vos said, as he calmed himself down too. "You'll definitely be there for your wedding, no doubt about that."

Obi-Wan gave a nervous laugh, considering the situation they had just escaped from. "I will be, or Sara will come to the after-life and kill me a hundred times over. Now, let's drop Bane and Fett somewhere, and get back home; I think Sara and the others will want the Wedding planning to be done soon enough, before the Rebellion gets announced and underway."


	49. Part III, Chapter 15

**This is the final chapter of Part III. The next part won't be out for a while, but just hang tight and it'll appear... Soonish.**

**Thanks for the reviews so far!**

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><p><em>THE REBELLION RISES<em>

The small cruisers that occupied the empty part of space outside the Galaxy slowly moved through the area, the many lights blinking on their shells the only source of life that was emitting from inside each and every one. Occasionally, the odd fighter would move past, quick and elegant, either heading towards one of the cruisers or disappearing into the far reaches of space within the blink of an eye.

The planet they were orbiting was Hoth, the snow-white sphere the centre of the small fleet that was slowly getting bigger, newer ships appearing from hyperspace to join the others that were there. Within the ships, there were large hangar-bay areas where activity was being initiated, groups of men and women marching forwards and forming lines of many different individuals; some were human, others were Togruti, and many others were species that were also being victimised by the Empire's new "anti-alien" laws. In short, it was a massive movement of rebels that had left their planet because they were either wanted, or they had no other choice. Each group formed a line next to a mass of conveyer belts that held helmets, armour and weaponry, which each were collected individually, the rifles held within their arms before the lines continued on towards the main audience chamber where the main speakers would be stationed.

All that echoed through the corridors was the sound of marching feet, revealing their numbers and the state of their armour- new and shiny- as they moved into the chamber and stood before the group of people that were awaiting them.

When everyone had gathered, a human male stood up and before the mass, gazing over them with dark eyes and a smile under his black goatee. He still wore his senatorial robes, and may now be an outlaw, but the man's effect was not diminished on the troops that were watching him closely.

"You are gathered here because of the results of the new Order," Bail Organa announced to the silent mass. "Many of you were unlawfully victimized and tortured by the Empire for being just different, while others were arrested for trying to help those same individuals escape from the monstrosity that has now ascended into the Galaxy."

None of the mass spoke, each individual listening to his every word.

"I- Bail Organa- Senator of Alderaan has left the Imperial Senate because of this unlawful action that has been bestowed on the Galaxy; I wish for peace, equality and justice in the system. Something which had been tarnished by Palpatine, Former Senator of Naboo and Emperor of this Galaxy," Bail continued. "As a result, a decision has been made between me and many other Senators."

A red haired Woman stood up- wearing all white- and went to his side.

"Senator Organa and many others have decided that we should rise up against the Empire," Mon Mothma said. "We have tried to negotiate peacefully with the Emperor into making the Galaxy fairer and full of justice; many of you have lived through his reign as Chancellor, and may agree with us that his methods are sadistic."

There were murmurs of agreement, and many of the members of the mass shifted, some nodding alongside those that voiced their opinion. It was evident that the words of both senators had gone straight into their hearts, their minds, their very souls...

It was evident that every armed member in the crowd agreed with the two famous senators, and some were even looking as though they were ready to leave and go straight into the fighting that everyone knew would occur once the words that Bail Organa had planned were spoken. Words they knew would install Hope into their hearts, and feed their courage so that they _could_ fight the Empire's machine of Chaos, and break the Emperor himself, so that he could crawl to them and beg for their forgiveness. Many probably would not deliver that forgiveness, and others would probably shoot the man through the head for his crimes that he already had on his back.

"Some of you have seen service," Bail said. "And know how to wield a weapon, however, others do not. As a result, we have resolved to measures to have you trained by the finest Bounty Hunters in the Galaxy, who have agreed to join us and complete the training of each individual before me. But you are not alone; the threat that is Darth Vader will be defeated, as we have our own army of Force users to combat the Emperor's pet."

That perked the interest of the armed individuals.

"I think we can all agree that the Jedi Order has delivered much to the Republic in the many centuries that they have served us," Bail continued. "They have fought for us for many years, trying to install peace to the Galaxy and had done so a millennia ago, slowly building the Galaxy into the perfect one we have all desired so much. Until Order 66, they were close to accomplishing this goal when General Grievous was destroyed on Utapau, and were ready to throw Palpatine from his high seat and reinstate a new Chancellor that would lead the Galaxy to that vision that they had desperately want to achieve.

"When Order 66 was initiated, their world- and ours- was turned upside down. Many Jedi were butchered and murdered by Palpatine and the Clone army in order for this Emperor- this false man- to remain in power and cause chaos through the Galaxy, but," Bail raised a hand for emphasis. "A few have escaped the plight, and a decision has been reached by their Leader that they will aid us, and train many of us, in some of their ways so that we can fight the monster of Darth Vader, and any other Force user that Palpatine decides to us. The Emperor plans to use dirty and dark means to accomplish his goals, without a care on who will get hurt."

There were murmurs of agreements.

"The following Jedi," Bail said. "Will be our Generals, and lead a squad each against the Empire and its hand of destruction. Bultar Swann, a Jedi Knight, will lead the red squadron." He indicated those that wore red marked armour.

"Jedi Master Tsui Choi will lead the blue squadron. Jedi Master Garen Muln the grey squadron. Jedi Master Quinlan Vos will lead the jungle squadrons on the respective worlds such as Kasshyyk and many others. Jedi Knight Ferus Olin will lead yellow squadron, Jedi Master Shaak Ti and her apprentice will lead the orange squadron. Jedi Knight Sarrianna Pascan will lead the water squadrons and desert squadrons for those planets.

"Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi," Bail ignored the gasps at the name. "Will be our main strategist and High General; as the only one to have fought Darth Vader and survive, maiming the man and putting him in that suit, he will counter Vader's strategic methods with his own, and only enter battle when he feels the need to. Jedi Grand Master Yoda will also be a High General, and will help us via the Force and strategic work as well."

Bail gazed around at the two Bounty Hunters in the shadows, hidden behind him, and said. "I will now introduce you to your two mentors that will be teaching each and every one of you how to fight and survive in this conflict. Their names are as follows; Boba Fett."

The young Man took a step forwards, helmet under his arm, and smirked at the mass before him, patting his pistol- holstered at his hip- and gazed back at the other bountry hunter that strode forwards.

The Duro took out his tooth pick and smirked also at the mass, before saying. "Listen up. I don't accept slackers, I don't accept weaklings; if none of you can accomplish the basic training of firing and surviving, then you had best turn around and leave this hall now, and save the Empire the trouble of killing you themselves."

The mass all shouted "Yes sir!" in unison, and Bail stepped forwards next to the pair, and said. "Then let this be a proclamation of Rebellion! From this moment onwards, we are now the Rebel Alliance, sworn to over-throw the Empire and destroy the Dictatorship that is threatening to tear our lives apart! Tomorrow, we will strike at many areas of the Empire, devastating their outposts and freeing those that they have imprisoned, installing Hope and justice back into every one of them! Together, we shall destroy the evil that has been unleashed, and return the Galaxy to what it was before Palpatine came into power!

"Today, we are the Rebel Alliance. And we will show the Emperor that he cannot rule us and treat us as mere vermin! We will make sure that Palpatine's "New Order" will crumble, piece by piece!"

The mass erupted into cheers, raising their weapons into the air as Bail raised his hands in the air, a smile on his face, the senators behind him clapping and standing with him.

The Rebel Alliance had been born.

Ooo

The River House was peaceful, the lake still and glistening as the last light of the sun reflected on it, illuminating the cliff as though it too was on fire, the marble stone-work beautiful. As the doors opened onto the balcony, the last two visitors to the Wedding that was taking place, a small crowd of different coloured robes of Jedi attire marked the ceremony as they stood on the steps before the couple that was to be wed that very night.

The dying Nubian sunset casted that couple in rich colours of red, gold and orange, also basking the balcony on which the pair stood opposite one another, the small crowd gathered behind them still illuminated in the colours. The shadowy figure between the opposing pair was wearing dark, reading out of a book, his deep voice fading away as the final vows were spoken, and the pair both spoke the words.

"I do."

The dark clothed man smiled, and took a step away from the pair, and they smiled at each other. The tallest of the pair wore a white shirt- open at the neck- white breeches and brown boots, polished and new, whereas the other wore a white dress along with a circlet of flowers that had been picked that morning, fresh and beautiful, basking her beautiful hair in an array of colours.

Their light-sabres were polished on their belts, and when they each offered a hand to one another, the other clasped it with the opposite, before slowing closing the distance before they sealed their union with a kiss. The crowd began to clap, and the two closest friends of the groom both whistled loudly into the air, causing Luke to burst into hysterical giggles, waving his hands in the air and the brunette woman that held him smiling widely, but longing for her husband that she missed completely.

The Jedi raised their light-sabres and ignited them in the air, casting light on the aisle that the wedded pair would soon be walking down, adding to the magical effect of the sunset that was behind them as the groom offered his arm to the bride, helping her down the aisle, both wearing smiles on their faces.

Ooo

Across the Galaxy, the news had spread over the new Rebel Alliance that had disrupted the Felucian invasion, and Palpatine stood on his balcony, surveying the army that dominated the many arenas as the white-armoured stormtroopers headed towards their cruisers, gunships, fighters and machines of mayhem moving into the cruisers.

Already, some had departed and were heading into the air, fleets of at least five cruisers dotting the sky and disappearing as they were sent to key core worlds, and other smaller cruisers to the outposts in the Outer Rim, ready to send reinforcements to those that were there in case the Rebels came calling.

Palpatine had already made a broadcast that if anyone knew the identities of the Rebel Leaders- though he had a hunch that the ones that were not at the Senate meeting that morning, and the ones who he had issued an arrest warrant for, only to find that they had fled already- and issued awards for their capture and any information to be brough forth immediately. Unfortunately, most were false or too little, but to Palpatine, it had to do. Turning from the balcony, Palpatine strode back inside and towards the chamber inside, seeing his most faithful senators gathered that were already discussing lending troops to the Empire so that they could fight the individuals that seeked to destroy the New Order that Palpatine was trying to install on the Galaxy.

_There is no peace. Peace is a lie._

Palpatine wished that he had listened to his Master a bit more now; peace would never be achieved with continuous War. He had planned the Clone War so that he could over-throw the Jedi and kill them, destroying the factor that would threaten his rule. Maybe he should have realised that it would be hard to kill all the Jedi.

When he heard the sound of the respirator, Palpatine headed towards Vader as he entered, and said. "You will leave immediately to try and destroy these Rebels before they cause destruction to what we wish to build."

"Yes, Master," Vader said, a bit taken a back at the urgency of Palpatine's words. "But I also wish to tell you that Project Storm is nearly complete; soon, the first one will hatch within a matter of minutes."

Palpatine's eyes widened, and he said. "Show me, Lord Vader. Now."

The Sith nodded, and led the Emperor into the corridor, their strides matching and their stances tall. Palpatine kept his excitement down to a minimum; he could not wait to see how his experiment was going! The Project would be the first in line for a new breed of Force sensitive killers, ready to serve the Sith once again due to the practices of Sith Alchemy; Palpatine rarely used it unless necessary, but he felt that now it was important should he come up against the Jedi once again.

They arrived at a lift, which soon bore the pair down into the basement of the complex that they were currently in. Palpatine kept himself calm, telling himself that patience was needed for the Sith Master to make sure he completed his goal.

"We are here, Master," Vader sounded, and Palpatine tore himself away from his thoughts, as they moved through another set of corridors and towards a centre where scientists moved around behind a glass screen.

On the other side, was a massive egg, twitching and slowly creaking as the beast within tried to break free.

Palpatine grinned at the sight, and watched the egg as it cracked, before whispering. "Rise, my creation. Rise, my monster of Darkness, my experiment. Rise, Storm Beast."

The egg cracked, and a claw erupted from the shell, pulling the other cracked piece out the way.

A head like a reptile appeared, the jellified remains of the egg over its slitted eyes, before it screeched high and clear, the glass cracking and almost breaking, Palpatine's cold laugh emitting through the chamber.

The Storm Beasts had returned; ready to wreck havoc once more.


	50. Part IV, Chapter 1

**I'm so sorry for the shortness of the chapter, but I had an extra part added onto it. Unfortunately, something happened, and it wiped the whole section out before I could save it! :( So, forgive me for the length; they will get longer, I promise! Anyways, here's the summary for this part!**

_Summary: The Rebel Alliance has finally installed itself in the Galaxy. Throughout the many systems, uprisings are occurring and threatening to over-throw the Empire in their systems as the Jedi emerge, still alive and still fighting against the monstrocity that is Palpatine, starting to over-turn his Empire built on fear and evil. Yet, the Force is shrouded in Darkness by the rise of a new species of creatures that once served the Dark Side of the Force._

_The Jedi's only hope is Luke Skywalker, who has now reached his very first birthday, and begun his basic Jedi training. But as the Storm Beasts arise and wreck havoc, there is only one Jedi that can stop them._

_And a sacrifice to be made in order to do so._

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><p><em>BOOK FOUR: STORM BEASTS<em>

_Ten months later..._

_THE SEIGE OVER BESPIN_

The lone Rebel starship moved over the surface of Bespin- the great gas planet- slow and elegant. The gun turrents moved slightly, controlled by those on board, the sun glancing off the silver shell that dominated its outer core. Slowly, it moved downwards, as two fighters cruised past it's upper surface, before diving down and towards the battle that was raging beneath the very starship.

It was a massive fire-fight between the Rebel Forces and Empire, the starships taking a beating compared to the more advanced cruisers that outnumbered and gunned them. However, the rebel fighters were too quick for their own, and the devastating fire power that the fighters used crippled either the engines or the bridges of the cruisers they were targeting. With a blast of the engines, the triangular fighter increased its speed to join the other, similar fighter just ahead of it, a deep, rich orange colour, and the first one was a duller orange.

The head of the astro-droid in the deeper coloured fighter spun, and it whistled loudly, its words appearing on the screen of the red armoured Togruta aboard the fighter.

"Understood, Artwelve," Shaak Ti said, nodding to its words, before spinning the fighter to avoid some TIE fire, diving down and heading towards the command Star Destroyer, her fingers hesitating on the launchers for the missiles that would devastate the shield generators. Flicking some switches, Shaak sent the command to the Rebel Bombers to form up behind her, and when she had released the missiles, they were to destroy the bridge with their own bombs, and thus take down their command ship; hopefully the Imperials would be lost and confused, unsure what to do should they lose their General.

The Jedi fighter was soon joined by the bombers, their four way wings strong and loaded with the more devastating missiles that could take down the supports of the Star Destroyer's bridge. Shaak bore her sharp teeth, and turned her fighter as some TIE's headed their way, red lasers soaring towards them and nearly striking Shaak's main engines, making the bombers split and head off in different directions. Realising that she could not get close to the command ship without losing her men and ships, Shaak knew she had to break up the assault on the command ship and take down another, less defended ship.

"Marriss!" She called into her comm.. "I need you to take down one of the cruisers; maybe if we divert the TIE's attention to another source, we can take down the command ship!"

"_I understand Master!"_ The Young Zabrak answered. _"I'll take my bombers and fighters towards the nearest cruiser."_

Shaak breathed a sigh of relief as the other Jedi fighter she could see twirled and dived down, squads of fighters and bombers joining her as the Zabrak Jedi dived towards the cruiser nearest to her. Steering her fighter out of the way of some enemy fire, Shaak growled low in her chest and moved behind some TIEs, her firing continuous in the hope that she would destroy some of them and enable Brood some more time to accomplish the task that she had been set.

Hearing an explosion, Shaak gazed down to see Brood unleash her payload and strike the shield generator that was visible on the Bridge, before the others did the same, shattering the supports that held the bridge upright. Within minutes, the cruiser began to fall, slanting and heading towards another. Shaak could hear the Imperials on board the other yell, and then- with a flash and a sickening crack that sounded through the explosions of battle that were dominating the area over Bespin- the Star Destroyer split into half, and the pair fell from the sky, erupting into balls of fire, debris blasting through the area and striking anything in its path. Shaak swore she heard some of her and the Imperial pilots scream in the Force before they were silenced, and tried to calm herself down before the feelings became too overwhelming for her.

Brood had done her mission, and now it was time for her to accomplish her own.

Pulling herself together, Shaak commanded for more pilots to follow her- what was left- and was joined only by one squadron. Steering her fighter, Shaak headed straight for the command Star Destroyer, relieved that she met few fighter resistance as they were so occupied with the others that they were failing to see the small squad of fighters heading towards them.

"_General Ti, we are ready to dispatch our presents to the Imperials!"_ A Rebel pilot sounded through her comm.

"Wait for my order," Shaak ordered. "Red squadron, we need you to fire all of your missiles at the main bridge; that way we have more chance of destroying those there and the cruiser as a whole!"

The Togrutan Jedi Master accelerated, and could sense the others doing exactly the same, hoping that their speed would save them time before the Imperials worked out what was going on. She could see the cruiser getting closer, and hesitated, her thumbs over the release buttons for her missiles, and let the Force fill her every fibre, telling her when it was time for her to fire, ignoring the questions of the Rebel pilots, wondering if they should fire or wait until she said so...

Finally, the Force told her, and Shaak yelled the command, the bridge now incredibly close to them. The missiles soared straight towards the bridge, and with a bright flash, the bridge was ignited in white light, the turrets firing at the fighters as they tried to get away before the Star Destroyer exploded or collided with the rest of their survivors. Shaak gritted her teeth and pushed her fighter speed to the maximum as the massive Star Destroyer fell from the sky.

Shaak suddenly realised that this made the Imperials only angrier, and a tremor in the Force told her that something bad was coming towards them. And true to her prediction, more Imperial ships appeared from hyperspace, and already, their cargo of fighters were being deployed, the TIEs heading straight towards them with no hesitation. Turning her comm. on, Shaak immediately spoke to the Rebel command ship.

"Admiral Onyx! This is General Ti, Imperial reinforcements have arrived! We are outgunned, and outnumbered! We need reinforcements!"

"_General Ti, we cannot hold out much longer!" _An explosion sounded on the other side. "_We MUST retreat and return to the main Rebel fleet!"_

"Bespin is too important for us to lose it!" Shaak shouted. "We can't just leave the planet!"

"_General Ti, we have no choice!" _Admiral Onyx shouted back. "_We can't last against these Star Destroyers; we are too heavily damaged and have lost too many of our fighters to even be able to have a chance of us winning this battle!"_

Shaak didn't want to give up, not when the Rebel desperately needed to succeed in some battles. She wished that Obi-Wan was the main strategist here, but she was on her own here.

Now, she needed to announce a fall back.

Heaving a sigh, Shaak turned on her comm. and announced to the fighters under her command. "This is General Ti, ordering all fighters to fall back and return to the cruisers; we cannot win this battle, and _must_ retreat immediately! The cruisers will be engaging in hyperspace in ten minutes, so all of you get aboard. Immediately!"

She heard the disbelief of some of the Rebel fighters, but knew that they could not disobey her order. Turning her own fighter around, Shaak steered towards the main Rebel cruiser, watching as the others began to gather together, turning away from the fight, and already, some were disappearing into the far reaches of space.

Landing her own fighter, Shaak waited until she felt the rumble of the cruiser- symbolizing that they had entered hyperspace- before making a move, pushing the top of her fighter off and getting out, striding towards the door that led from the hangar and into the corridors that threaded throughout the whole ship.

It was evident that the Togrutan Jedi was not in a good mood, and everyone stayed clear from her as she strode towards the bridge, the doors slamming open, admitting her into the bridge. The officers and Admiral turned to face her, and Shaak glared at the Admiral.

"We could have lasted. We could have won this battle!"

"General Ti," Admiral Onyx said his voice calmer than her own. "We were outnumbered, and therefore cannot win against them! If reinforcements were called, it will have been too late for them, and we would have been destroyed, with many lives lost."

The Togrutan Jedi had to admit that she agreed with his statement, and immediately regained a control on her temper. She took a deep breath, before saying. "Inform the fleet that we are returning to them."

Onyx nodded, and barked the order to the officers and commanders, the Admiral turning and staring out the window. Shaak sighed, and murmured that she was going to get changed, before leaving the bridge and heading to her quarters, desperate to get into her Jedi attire and out of the incredibly warm flight suit that she wore- even though she was from a planet where jungle and arid ecosystems dominate everything.

Shaak entered her quarters and immediatey showered, changed and took her own supply of food to eat. She needed to prepare for the Council meeting that she would need to be ready for when they arrived back home, and now dreaded what the Masters would say to her over this recent failure; if they did not have a key victory soon, then there was no point in _having_ a Rebellion in the first place. The last key victory they had had was a few months ago, when they sabotaged and crippled the ship yards orbating Raxus Prime, stopping the production of their super Star Destroyers, but not the older version of the Star Destroyers that they still had in their possession.

Shaak stopped, realising that she was in danger of crushing her dish that had her food. Staring down, the Togrutan Master placed her food down and turned to face her bed, unsure whether she was hungry or just tired now. Taking a deep breath, Shaak decided that maybe food could wait; she needed to rest and recover herself, bring in her emotions and calm herself down to minimum before she could face the rest of the Jedi Order.

Sitting cross-legged on her bed, the Togrutan Jedi Master closed her eyes and sunk into the depths of the Force, breathing in its essence and light, before the meditation finally began to take effect. Within minutes, she left behind her physical being, and was unified within the Force.

There was so much to do, and so much to see, in so little time.


	51. Part IV, Chapter 2

**Well, here's the next update. Now, this is just to lighten the book up until we get to the more darker areas of this fic; I must admit, I believe this one might be more darker than the previous three. We might be delving more into the Dark Side of the Force, and possibly visions of what is to come.**

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><p><em>GROWING<em>

"IT'S COMING! OH BY THE MAKER IT'S COMING!"

The red haired Jedi rushed through the corridor, pale and sweating violently as he headed straight towards the destination that he craved to get to. His hair was trimmed shorter and the beard was gone- or doused in magnitude- with a smaller form visible on the lower half of his face, and the first greys in his hair was more prominent around his temples and fringe. It seemed that he had aged much within the ten months since the Rebellion had started, and the stress and urgency of the movement had caused him to look older than he actually was.

Trailing behind him was Garen Muln- carrying some blankets and morphine- and Bultar Swan, their faces pale as his and excitement and fear on their faces. The three Jedi catapulted themselves around the corner and down another corridor of the River House, the red haired praying that they weren't too late, and that his wife wasn't writhing in pain and screaming at the top of her lungs for him to hurry up, ignoring everything and everyone as he moved towards his apartment.

"ARGH!"

He collided head-first with a dark haired Jedi, and then Garen and Bultar followed shortly after, the four Jedi landing in a heap, blankets fluttering onto them and the morphine shot rolling underneath the drawers that were near their position. Writhing, the four Jedi tried to disengage from one another, a blanket tangled around Bultar's feet and another covering the red haired's vision, making him panic and bolt out of the pile.

"Watch it!" Garen yelled. "That's my leg!"

"Mind the elbow there Bultar!"

"Would you all stop struggling and let me figure out how we get out of this mess!" Bultar squeaked as the red haired fell when Garen's leg shot out, causing him to fall back into the pile. "OUCH! OBI-WAN!"

"Where the kriff am I?" Obi-Wan yelled, and Garen reached over and pulled the blanket off his face, allowing the Jedi to see clearly. Now realising what was wrong, Obi-Wan struggled on the pile and accidently kicked Quinlan in the stomach, before crawling off and then skidding as he ran down the corridor. He stopped, ran back, grabbed the blankets and continued running down the corridor, breathing heavy and not caring that a bruise was forming on his forehead from the collision that had occurred just minutes before; this was more important, and he was desperate to get to his wife before he missed the event that he had been dreading for the past nine months, yet was awe inspired by it. He couldn't wait to see it happen, but couldn't believe that it _was_ happening.

He almost tripped over Tsui- who cursed him loudly- and darted up the stairs, hearing the former scream as the other Jedi that he had left no doubt collided with him too as they followed Obi-Wan at top speed. Keeping his breathing steady, Obi-Wan ran straight for his apartment, and kicked the door open, but had to slow as a result.

Unfortunately, the other three had caught up, and now, he was thrown onto the floor, Garen and Quinlan on him and Bultar squeaking as she fell on the pair. Blowing his fringe out of his face, Obi-Wan flailed and yelled for them to get off, only to hear a loud giggle and stare up at see a blonde haired child above him.

His eyes were a magnificent sky blue, and his mop of blonde hair was neat and fell in bangs over his eyes and feathered at the back, his tanned features twisted into a dazzling smile. He squatted and patted Obi-Wan's head, before saying. "Unca Obi in a pickle!"

Obi-Wan immediately forgot what he was worried and rushing for, smiling up at the boy and said. "Hello Luke. How are you today?"

"Me okay," Luke said, and sat before them, rocking on his backside, holding his feet. "Me still a bit tired."

Luke had been suffering recurring nightmares for the past few days, but Obi-Wan assured him and Beru that they would pass in time, and true enough, the boy had slept soundly last night, and had not disturbed any Jedi over it at all. Once, Obi-Wan had caught the boy screaming in his sleep, and had rushed to his side, embracing him and calming the crying infant down to the best of his ability, before letting him come and join Obi-Wan and his wife- the boy needed the comfort, and Beru was ill at that point, unable to take care of Luke in her condition.

"You getting up?" Quinlan sounded above him, and Obi-Wan immediately jumped up, before scooping Luke into his arms, hugging the boy tight before rushing to where he sensed his wife on the balcony.

"Sara!" He called, and immediately skidded to a halt before her, the blonde haired Jedi looking up. "Are you okay? Is the baby coming? How far apart are your- Mfft!"

Her hand went over his mouth, but she smiled widely at Obi-Wan, her beautiful features not tarnished by the pregnancy she had managed through these past nine months. "I _told_ you, it was just a kick; the baby is restless, that is all!"

Obi-Wan sighed in relief, and his shoulders slacked, making Luke cling onto his tabards to make sure he didn't fall out of his arms. Freeing one hand, Obi-Wan placed it on the baby bump and smiled, before saying. "You really scared Daddy, you know that little one?"

Sara laughed, and a kick responded to Obi-Wan's comment. Luke just giggled in his arms, and hugged Obi-Wan tightly around the neck, peering over his shoulder with a grin, staring at the unamused Jedi that were now glaring at the Jedi Master from behind. Bobbing Luke in his arms, Obi-Wan gently put him down, before placing his hand back on Sara's baby bump, feeling the baby greet him with a friendly pulse of the Force, and smiled.

He still could not believe that he was going to be a Father; it felt surreal, as though a dream that he was living, and if he woke up, Obi-Wan was scared that the reality would be something different, that he was stuck on Tatooine, living a nightmare until Luke was ready to face the Empire, mature and powerful, while the old Jedi withered and crumbled. Sometimes, Obi-Wan would wake at night and believe that had happened, checking himself by touching his arms, before gazing at the woman that he now considered his wife, and touching her arm to make sure that she was real, before gently scolding himself over his idiocy.

"Unca Obi? Why cry?" Luke sounded through his thoughts.

Obi-Wan pulled himself away, and gazed down at the boy as he blinked up at him. "I'm alright, little one. Just lost in my thoughts."

"Oh. Okay," Luke said, and Obi-Wan gazed around at the door to see that the other Jedi had left them be. "Can we play?"

Obi-Wan smiled down at Luke, and lifted him up. "Play, little one? I believe it's your nap time; we'll play later."

"Me no tired," Luke protested, but yawned widely, resting his head against Obi-Wan's shoulder. "Me want to play!"

"Mind your Master, Luke," Sara said gently, brushing aside Luke's blonde hair. "He's getting old now; he might have a nap just now too."

Obi-Wan playfully pouted at Sara, and said. "Me? Old?"

"Well, you are a year shy of forty," Sara chuckled, rubbing her enlarged belly. "And no matter how much you dye your hair, I can still see some greys lining your temples, and the first signs of lines on your face."

Obi-Wan sighed heavily, and bobbed Luke to get him to gently fall asleep in his arms, staring down at the infant; already, Luke was rubbing his own eyes, and yawning widely, moaning as he struggled to keep awake, only failing and ending up dropping his head onto Obi-Wan's shoulder, now in a light sleep.

_He has inherited Anakin's tendency to fall asleep immediately, _Obi-Wan thought sadly.

"Right, I'll get this young one to his crib," Obi-Wan said. "And then I think we should _both_ rest; you are nearly due, and I don't want you straining yourself."

"My over-protective husband," Sara rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, the baby is fine. It's the freaked out Dad _I'm _more concerned about just now."

Her expression sobered. "And you said you are ready for this, becoming a Father?"

Obi-Wan looked at her in shock. "If I wasn't ready for becoming a Father, then I would be wringing my hands and strutting about nervously this very instant, and would have been for the past few months." He sighed. "I just wish we don't have to hide our child for long; already, Luke isn't interacting with the other youngsters we have here."

"He's had a traumatic time," Sara reminded him. "The two boys, Kyle and Galen, just need to understand that Luke isn't ready for their wide-spread adventures yet; he's still very young, as is Galen. I can't believe Master Marek and Kota spoil that boy rotten."

"They just don't believe that Luke Skywalker may be the One," Obi-Wan said, as they headed to the room that they still have set up for Luke; Beru was out in the City now, gathering supplies now that she was unrecognisable due to Garen's efforts at healing her facial scars from Palpatine's attack. "Galen may have a high count, but it's nothing compared to Luke's."

Sara nodded, and watched as Obi-Wan gently placed Luke in his sleep cot, covering the boy and tucking him in tightly. Quickly and quietly as possible, the pair left the room and headed to their own, Obi-Wan kicking off his boots and settling down for a rest; the War had taken its toll on him already, and he was looking for a nice rest for now.

Sara lay against him, and he embraced her, closing his eyes as he relaxed against her. Deep down, he prayed that everything was going to be alright, and that his Family- Luke, Beru and others included- would be safe.

Ooo

Palpatine strode towards the chamber that held the now dozen Storm Beasts that had hatched out recently, with the first the largest and most dominant of the lot growling and shoving others out the way as it followed the cloaked individual through the reinforced glass and laser screen, having silently noted Palpatine as his father. The largest one had battle scars adorning its flank and face, some fresh and others old, and when one of the younger males made an advance that it saw as threatening, all Hell broke loose.

Palpatine watched in amazement as the larger one attacked, its jaws already clamped around the youngster, massive claws holding it tightly to prevent it from escaping. The youngster cried out in pain and desperation, as the older one got the hold it needed, its massive claws tearing at the scales and flesh it clung to, before the canines that were sunk into the neck of the little one broke through to draw blood, the scarlet beads falling down the emerald body of the youngster, before the dominant male twisted his jaws slightly.

And broke its neck.

The youngster was thrown to the ground- still- and the dominant Beast roared loudly at the others, spikes flaring out and making the others slink away, cowering back as the larger Beast roared its triumph. Palpatine couldn't help but smirk, and turned to the scientists.

"Let me inside."

The scientists hesitated, and a couple of troopers flanked Palpatine as he entered the enclosure without fear, moving through the large security doors, the Beast now standing there, eying the trio with curiosity and aggression.

Until it sniffed Palpatine.

Then, the massive creature began rubbing its nose against Palpatine's arm, and the Sith patted its head, before scratching the neck, just behind that spot of the jaw, watching as his favourite Storm Beast closed its eyes and relaxed before him, turning from monster to an over-size, reptilian kitten within seconds. Palpatine knew though that he should not relax, in case the others attacked or his favourite turned on him within a split second, and gestured towards the trooper behind him.

It was time for the Beasts to go on the hunt now; each of them will get a scent of a particular individual, and would be released onto inhabitant planets to cause chaos; the blasters would not penetrate the armour of the Storm Beasts, and if any Jedi were present, then the Force would be clouded to them, as the Beasts were monsters of the Dark Side, and could use powers as such to their advantage.

Soon, the scents of different individuals were passed around the youngsters, and their pupils swelled as they took the scent in, their lips curling and revealing their teeth, the Dark Side swelling inside them as they recognised the scents of Jedi on the clothings and the blood that were spilled from those Jedi on different areas of different places they had fought in. Palpatine watched as the youngsters were soon pushed into containers to be transported, the heavily armoured troopers that always stood on guard in case of break out pushing them in through electric means.

Palpatine held back the dominant Beast, and held up a particular scent that he wanted the dominant one to track.

A baby scent, and then he offered an adult male's own, the beast growling more at the first one due to the obvious higher trace of midi-chlorians that were present on the clothing. It gazed at Palpatine, who said.

"Oh no, I'm not sending you away yet," He smirked. "I must prepare you better for these two _particular _Jedi, my friend; it will take more than just your strength to bring them down."


	52. Part IV, Chapter 3

**Well, here's another update!**

**Now, I have to confess that maybe the event at the end might be a bit... Off... As we do not know the Fate of the Jedi in the final book of the series. Does Luke Skywalker die? Does he live? If he doesn't, what will become of Ben Skywalker?**

**So many questions, but if he DOES die, it had better be a fantastic send-off for Luke Skywalker! And an amazing duel that will be remembered for the future of the others!**

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><p><em>THE NIGHTMARES OF LUKE SKYWALKER<em>

The Nubian night began to cast its shadow onto the River House, causing the occupants to turn the lights on, and ignite the lanterns that resided outside, illuminating the gardens and causing the beautiful flowers to glow in a magnificent range of colours. The sounds of a fighter erupted into existence, one appearing in the distance, and then another, the pair flying lowly over the trees in a way that would make it seem that they would soon disappear into the emerald flush that were on the hills and low-lying lands, before swerving and slowly descending just beneath the cliff, where a small cave grew in size and depths.

The fighters entered the cave one by one, and landed amongst more fighters and a larger transport ship. Since the Rebel Alliance began its siege on the Empire, a secret tunnel was made that left the River House and down into a cave, where the Jedi ships rested and waited for their pilots to take them into the skies once again for battle. The first one landed in its slot, and then the other, the glass tops moving aside and revealing the two occupants that had used them, the Togrutan Jedi moving swiftly towards the stair-case that headed up towards the main River House, the Zabrak following as they moved swiftly up the stairs towards a door that led straight into the River House. Raising her hand, Shaak Ti took the handle and pushed the door open into the familiar stone corridor of the House, staring around for some indication that there was other Jedi.

Brood moved past her and down the corridor, obviously starved from the mission that they had struggled to even succeed in, and Shaak followed, hearing the sound of children laughing and paused, staring around to see two dark haired Children rush past, and then the familiar blonde haired boy, slightly shorter than the other two, but stockier. They all paused and looked around at Shaak and Brood, before the blonde haired boy called.

"Unca Obi?"

There was the sound of quick footsteps, and Obi-Wan appeared, stared at the pair and then smiled.

"Shaak, Mariss," He greeted. "Welcome home."

The two Jedi Masters greeted one another by placing their hands over their own hearts, and bowing their heads, whereas the Padawan bowed from the waist, her gaze lowered in respect. Obi-Wan reached down and patted the heads of Luke and Kyle as the two boys clung to each of his legs, peeking at the pair whereas Galen stared at them with curiosity and confidently walked towards them.

"Who you?" He demanded.

Shaak chuckled, and said. "I'm Shaak, little one. Don't be afraid; I am a friend."

Galen chewed his lip, and then said. "Okay."

He turned to face the Jedi Master behind him and said. "Can we eat now?"

Obi-Wan chuckled, and beckoned the other two forwards, leading them and the three youngsters back to the dining area. Luke tugged his hand, and Obi-Wan lifted him into his arms, carrying the toddler as they headed down towards the sound of chatter and laughter, entering into the room to see the crowded table full of Jedi, and the only non-Jedi in the group.

Luke wriggled, and Obi-Wan placed him on the little mat at the smaller table that the three youngsters sat at to eat, Obi-Wan squatting and giving Luke a fruit from the bowl before them, cutting it into smaller pieces for the toddler to manage. Kyle and Galen tussled nearby, the pair not interested, but Luke just hung back, watching the pair with amazement and wariness over what they were doing, as though too shy to try and join in too. Gazing at him in worry, Obi-Wan returned to his spot at the table, watching as Shaak and Brood were greeted enthusiastically before taking some food and joining the Jedi at the table.

Sara excused herself, and Obi-Wan stood with her, ready to help her, but she went towards the couch and sat down, Beru joining her; the widowed wife of Owen was the god-mother, and Sara and her were already good friend, chatting and laughing at each others jokes or funny situations. Obi-Wan gazed at Yoda, who was smiling widely, and leaned towards him.

"What's funny?"

Yoda chuckled, and said. "Calm down, you must, over the presence of your growing infant. Or be forced to restrain you, Garen and Quinlan will be."

Obi-Wan sighed and looked at his plate of food, wondering what and how he should react just now over everything that was going on; soon he would be called to War, and would probably face Vader on the field or the sky, being put to the test once again by the Force. Only this time, the stakes were higher for his survival; he _had_ to come back, he didn't have a choice, as this time, he had a wife, and a child on the way, and they depended on him to protect them.

He could not do that when he was dead.

Sensitive to his emotions, Luke and Sara both looked up at him, Sara's eyes full of worry but Luke's was full of confusion over what Obi-Wan was feeling. Gazing around at the other Jedi, Obi-Wan realised that they had finished their meal, and consumed his slowly and patiently, before gazing over at the sun as it began to descend behind the hills. Standing, Obi-Wan excused himself and strode out into the corridor, beckoning Luke to follow him. The little Boy got up and rushed as quickly as his legs could allow him, desperate to catch up to the taller and significantly older man, before giving up when they were half-way into the corridor.

Realising that Luke had stopped, Obi-Wan gazed back, sighed, and strode towards Luke, lifting him into his arms.

"Don't ever give up, Luke," He whispered, the Boy giving him his absolute attention. "Don't fall back unless you have to."

Luke blinked, and nodded, before saying, "But..."

"Being a Jedi isn't fun, Luke," Obi-Wan said. "It can have its happy moments, but you must understand that there are some cases where being a Jedi will cause you to face many situations that require quick thinking, complete control over your emotions, and skill. You will have these soon, Luke, but please don't hesitate with socializing with Kyle Katarn and Galen Marek; team-work is also needed for the Jedi to survive."

"I pwomise," Luke said, nodding. "I'll be the best of them all. I'll help those that are weak, and defend them from the Empire."

Obi-Wan chuckled, and ruffled his hair. "I think you are too young just now to worry about that just now, Luke, but be aware of what occurs around you; use your power to listen, see if anything is wrong, or out of place. You may not understand it, but you are important. More important than what Rahm Kota and Master Marek said you are."

Luke gave a small smile, his sky blue eyes shimmering as though the Force itself worked through him, and the happiness that spilled through their developing bond told Obi-Wan that Luke appreciated his words, and trusted him.

He would need the close bond and trust until the end.

"Come on," Obi-Wan said gently. "Let's go through your control methods again. Maybe, this time, I might let you learn how to levitate objects this time."

Luke cried out in glee, and jumped down, grabbing Obi-Wan's hand and dragging him down the corridor.

Ooo

_A loud shrill laughter, as the Sith Goddess stood before the Temple, the many dark robed individuals behind her as the magnificent structure burned before them. Dark mist shrouded around her body, covering the parts of it that needed to be covered, as the most trusted followers entered after their soldiers stormed the cloisters of the Temple, toppling large statues and making them crack when they struck the ground. Turning her hair blonde, the Sith Goddess patiently walked towards the Temple, followed by the others, and changed the mist around her to form dark robes of her own, the blonde hair falling down her back in waves, her skin becoming pale and tired, though her smile had turned into a sinister one._

_Screams sounded as she realised that the Jedi that defended the front entrance of the Temple were pushing back the soldiers that she had ordered- through disguise and manipulation of the Galactic Alliance- to attack the Temple, using the Sith to help her accomplish her revenge, and theirs, that she had strived for generations since she had been imprisoned. Some Sith rushed past her, and struck the Jedi that were holding the soldiers' advance, pushing them against the wall and driving their crimson blades into their bodies, making them fall limp to the ground._

_Smirking at the bodies, the Sith Goddess strolled past and into the main corridor, as the other Jedi appeared before her- one she recognised._

_He had vibrant red hair, and sky blue eyes, fair skin which was freckled, adding to the effect of his fiery red hair. His beige clothing was darkened slightly from dirt and blood from the Sith that he had fought that She had managed to get into the Temple earlier, and his cheek sported a large cut, still oozing blood. _

_The Boy took a step forwards, and said. "You should not be here, Abeloth."_

_The Sith Goddess laughed high and clear into the air, and said. "And will you stop me, little Boy? Will you stop me, where your Father has failed? Where is the Grand Master now; is he hiding away from me, cowering behind you in fear?"_

"_Fear?" A mellow voice sounded. "I do not cower from you, Abeloth."_

_The crowd of Jedi parted, and the tall form of the Jedi Grand Master appeared, wearing dark robes, and his greying hair dusted by the debris that had been dislodged in the bombardmend. He also had an open wound on his face, cutting from the temple on the left right down over his cheek, nose and towards his lips, the bottom lip swollen slightly, dried blood on the edge of the cut._

"_Luke Skywalker," Abeloth sneered. "So, you decide to show yourself to me. Makes it easier killing you."_

_Luke sighed heavily, and said. "You know that only one side will succeed today, and it won't be the Sith; no matter what, the Jedi will survive and continue living, even if we lose this day."_

"_You have so much faith in your fellow Jedi that you fail to see that you are outnumbered, outskilled?" Abeloth questioned him. "All I ask is one thing; your blood, Skywalker, for being a thorn in my side since I have come back. With your death, the Sith will rise once again."_

"_Even if I die, the Jedi will live on," Luke said. "Regardless."_

_Abeloth shook her head, before ordering. "Kill them. Kill them all, but leave Skywalker to me!"_

_The Sith behind her rushed forwards, crimson weapons ignited and ready, and the Jedi rushed to meet them too, and Abeloth even heard someone shout. "Uncle! Get Ben out and go!"_

_Abeloth turned her attention towards the Skywalkers, as the Grand Master tried to usher his teenage son away and to safety, only for Ben Skywalker to refuse and struggle against his Father._

_Foolish Boy, he only succeeded in increasing his Father's chance of being murdered._

_Curling her hand, Abeloth raised it and Luke began clawing at his own throat, Ben turned and rushing towards her, only to be thrown back by her free hand. Tightening her grip, Abeloth threw the older man against the wall, watching as Luke fell to the ground, shaking slightly, before trying to get up, his aged form easily crippling the once powerful Jedi that had fought for the Light side of the Force for many decades._

_Abeloth approached him, ready for the taste of the demise for her prey, and grabbed Luke by the collar, pulling him up to face her. The emerald blade sprang to life and she screamed as his weapon slashed her arm, before he tackled her, the light-sabre flying from his grip and clattering somewhere into the battle near them. Abeloth screeched, desperate to break free, and blasted the Jedi Grand Master off her, making him crash through the double doors and yell at something._

_It meant that she had dealt him a devastating blow that could turn the tide of the battle._

_Calmly walking towards where Luke was, Abeloth peered around the door edge to see that he was gone, but blood was on the ground, indicated by small droplets that had obviously fallen from Luke; she could tell it was him by the stench of his signature, powerful in the Force, a feast for her to have._

_She gazed around to see that Luke had collided with a sharp stone, and must have scratched or wounded himself in the process, and smirked, quickly following the droplets towards where Luke was now probably hiding._

_This ends... She thought to herself. This ends, tonight._

_Then, Abeloth saw him, and raised her hand, a dark shape appearing in her hand as she formed the Force into a dagger-like appearance, ready to send it flying to Skywalker and penetrate his heart, putting a stop to it and ending the thorn that had disrupted her plans many times..._

_She aimed, right for the heart, and fired._

_A scream sounded through the Temple, but not just there, but elsewhere..._

He was screaming...

Luke woke and wailed, burying his face in his pillows before hearing the sound of thunderous footsteps and his bedroom door opened. He could tell through the Force that his aunties and uncle was there, but refused to look up at them, until Obi-Wan's gentle hands took his away from his face and he stared up at him, staring right into those vibrant blue-grey eyes.

Luke buried his face in Obi-Wan's chest, and cried, fear the only emotion that emitted from the Boy.

And across the Galaxy, the Emperor laughed at his victory.


	53. Part IV, Chapter 4

**Well, here is the next update.**

**To answer some questions...**

**Jedi Kay: Yes, it is Galen Marek... The future Star Killer!**

**SashaMonroe: Yes, it is Fate of the Jedi, and Kyle is the future Right hand Man of Luke Skywalker in his New Jedi Order. Kyle Katarn is his full name :)**

**Thanks for the reviews so far!**

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><p><em>A CRACK IN THE FORCE<em>

The massive Star Destroyer appeared from hyperspace, descending upon the planet before it slowly, the engines dimming down in power to aid it, before it finally broke through the clouds, slowly stabilizing in the air, the hangar doors opening to reveal a large transport vessel, carrying a large crate in its grip, descending towards the surface. The transport soared over the massive amount of flora, looking for a place for it to land its crate, especially near somewhere that was full of life to test if the new creation was worth the trouble that the Emperor had went to, before finding one area and slowly lowering itself down, landing the crate on the soft ground.

A couple of troopers jumped out of the ship as the doors opened on the side, carefully moving towards the end of the crate that bore the door, one taking a handle and pulling the slide that allowed them to peer inside the crate to view the being inside.

Nothing but darkness greeted the pair, and for a moment they panicked in case the crate was empty, and that the Beast was actually running around in the Star Destroyer, causing havoc and killing everyone on the ship. One even took a torch, and ignited the end in a bright light, gently moving the beam through the darkness, until it came across something peculiar.

A scaly hide- green in colour- and spikes adorning the jut of the limb where the joints met for an elbow or knee, before a low grow emerged and a triangular head appeared, dark eyes gleaming unusually in the darkness, its jaws slowly opening to reveal sharp teeth, bits of saliva trailing as it gazed straight towards the troopers. Its claws were sharp, and its backbone was occupied by spikes, descending from the back of the skull down to the tip of its tail, ending in numerous, deadly spines that could impale a man if it struck them. Its muscles rippled under its scales as it turned to face them, a forked tongue flicking out to taste the air, nostrils flaring, before it moved towards the door. The troopers backed off, before taking the large bolts and- together- pulling them back to unlocked the door, and then climbing to the top of the crate, another trooper on the ship looking down with a rope so that they could climb up and make a quick escape.

Grabbing the chains, the troopers pulled the massive door open, both soon struggling to hold the weight of the chains and door, gritting their teeths under their helmet.

"Come on, you stupid lizard," One cursed. "Get out of there!"

Finally, the head emerged and then the rest of it, the beast sniffing the ground and tasting the air, before pushing itself back onto its hind legs, standing taller than when it was on all four. It bore its teeth, and the troopers gently eased the door down, closing the crate off behind the lizard before immediately shoving one another out the way as they tried to clamber up the rope to escape the monster below. It raised its head, and turned towards them, baring its fangs before sinking its razor sharp claws into the metal crate, trying to climb up it to attack the object it perceived as threatening to it.

Tail flicking, the Storm Beast reached the top, and for a moment, the troopers thought they were safe, until it pounced with one bound, using the Force as its aid and grabbing a hold of the wing nearest it with one claw. The ship struggled with the Beast's movements, and it tried to snap at the glass that shielded the pilot, before it lost its grip and landed on the ground, raising its head and watching the smoking ship return to the Star Destroyer that awaited them in the sky, before turning to face the forest before it.

With a growl, it lowered back onto all fours, and bounded into the forest, sniffing the air and ground, before picking up a trail that led it to a village nearby that the troopers wanted to test the creature's ability- its strength, stamina and power- before they could send it to join the others on the battle-field against the Rebellion. The beast crouched low, stalking around the surroundings of the village for a weak point, keeping down and creeping towards the village, when one of their tamed animals picked up his scent and perked up, staring around for the source, alerting its owner.

It did not matter to the Storm Beast.

He bounded out from the bushes and towards the village, the inhabitants crying out and some grabbing weapons; rifles aimed for the Storm Beast as it came galloping towards them. The rifle shots veered towards him, but did not penetrate his hide, as the Beast rushed towards them, before leaping high into the air, closing his jaws around one villager and killing him instantly before doing the same to others.

The Dark Side screamed in joy as he began taking life after life, the Force acting as a its ally in killing the innocent and furthering the Darkness, fires starting when he caused some ignited logs to collide with some of the houses, the fires quickly spreading and engulfing the village due to the lax in some of the houses of modernisation, and making the village soon demolished and falling to the ground.

Within an hour, it was a massive blaze of fire, the Beast now long gone as it left into the forest, before the supports that held the village up fell, and nothing but ruins and ash remained of the village. As the Storm Beast left, it felt stronger as the life energies of those it slayed entered its body, tearing holes in the Force and making it crumble as the Darkened half of the Force began to overwhelm the Light slightly, making the wounds only larger and more gaping, letting the Dark Side seep in and stretch its senses.

_Where are you, _his Master sounded in his head_. _But it was evident that the Master was looking for someone else, not him_. He is the core... Where are you, Boy?_

The Dark tendrils reached further, and for a moment, the Beast thought he saw what looked like a small star. His vision was full of only that bright star, and for a moment, the Beast was enchanted by the innocent, how bright it shone before him that he wanted to reach out and touch it, feel the warmth. In the shadows, he saw himself reach out towards it, moving through the broken areas of the Light and towards the star, only to cry out when something shocked him, as though a shield had managed to stop him.

Reeling back, the Beast focused back on the Reality, and growled low; it could not help Palpatine find the person he wants to find, and the Beast knew that the Dark Side needed to increase in strength before it could attempt to swarm the Light and destroy it from the inside. Turning from the direction he was heading in, the Storm Beast darted into the forest to see what else it could hunt.

Sniffing the air, the Beast found another village a few miles away, and wondered if the black smoke that rose behind him would attract the attention of the inhabitants nearby. Shrouding himself in the Force and becoming invisible, the Beast slinked into the shadows and vegetation, sinking its claws into the side of the massive stem of the plant he was now climbing up, the parts where he had impaled with his claws now becoming blackened and spreading, the whole plant dying off in an instant.

The hunt was still afoot, and he could not wait to continue it.

Ooo

Yoda jumped out of his meditation, breathing quick and his aged heart thumping in his chest with panic and making his head feel dizzy. Clasping a claw to his forehead, Yoda closed his eyes and took some steady breaths, before attempting to get up and walk, grunting as he moved towards the door and gently pushing it open, gazing around for any indication of where the other Jedi could be, before heading to the living space when he heard their voices and the high giggles of the children as they played with the adults.

Moving towards the room with heavy feet and a heavy heart, Yoda stopped in the doorway and stared at the Jedi sitting in the room, Galen and Kyle crawling over a few of the men while Luke sat in Obi-Wan's lap, watching the boisterous children before him with the same wariness as usual; he wasn't as confident as the others, and many others that Yoda had trained, and expressed humility towards certain events of the day. Yoda could tell that the Boy would be key to the Order in the Future.

Gazing up at the other Jedi Adults, Yoda announced his presence in the Force, and immediately they turned to face him. When each Jedi saw the expression on his face, they immediately tensed, and Obi-Wan asked for Beru and Sara to take the children out and elsewhere, gently putting Luke on his feet and firmly indicating that the Boy should leave instantly, Kyle and Galen protesting as Beru and Sara urgently got the little ones out. Gazing back at Obi-Wan, Luke slowly followed, passing Yoda and out into the corridor. Once the door closed, everyone turned to Yoda.

"A great disturbance, I sense from the Force," Yoda said to each of them, his voice full of authority and purpose. "Cracks, appearing they are, and sense a great Evil is the cause."

"I sense it too," Garen agreed. "Like something has happened, and the Light side is receeding. But why?"

"Do you think the Emperor has found a way to unleash greater Darkness on the Galaxy?" Tsui asked. "Sith Techniques?"

"It's possible," Shaak answered. "But something is not right at all. Should we contact the Rebellion?"

"Contact yet, we cannot," Yoda said. "Meditate and see what is needed to be done, we must."

"Master Yoda," Rahm started. "I agree that maybe we need to meditate on this, but if possible, should we not send a team to see the source of this unrest in the Force? It might be wise to see what we are up against."

"Possibly," Obi-Wan agreed, nodding with Rahm. "Master Yoda, we need to see if we can get into the Empire's main computers, and try and work out what is going on here; lately, Luke's nightmares have been getting worse, and for some reason- and I think we all agree- we feel tarnished slightly, as though the Force has been ruptured in some way. We need to investigate this."

Yoda closed his eyes for a moment, as though searching for any danger, only to reopen them and say, "Agree with this, I do. Send a team of Jedi, we should, to investigate this."

Obi-Wan nodded, before saying, "Who will we send?"

"You need to remain," Kento said, his gaze on Obi-Wan. "Your wife is nearly due, and it would be best if you remained here until the youngling is born."

Obi-Wan sighed, and ran a hand through his hair; he wanted to go out onto the field again, but with Sara so close to her due date, it would not be wise to do so. He needed to be here for the birth of his son or daughter, regardless of any action he was participating in.

Finally, Obi-Wan nodded, and said, "I will remain here, but if anything happens out on the field, I won't have a choice but to enter the War myself; I hope the team can succeed."

Yoda nodded, before turning to the others. "Discuss amongst yourself, who shall be part of the team. Depart for the Rebel Alliance tomorrow, me and the chosen four shall. Prepare to the best of your ability, they must, for difficult, this task will be. For all of us."

"Agreed," Shaak said. "We will remain here now, and talk; we shall let you know in a while who is coming with you, Master Yoda. I only hope that this is an enemy that we can fight without much difficulty."


	54. Part IV, Chapter 5

**Well, now we're moving more onto Luke this time, and the more darker areas of the fic.**

**Also, if anyone can help, does anyone know the age of Shira Brie (Lumiya) when she died? Was she older or younger than Luke Skywalker? If you know, please put in your review!**

**Thank you so far!**

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><p><em>THE HUNT <em>

Luke woke from his sleep, staring at the ceiling of his bedroom as he panted under his covers, sweat beginning to cover his body and head in a sheet. Raising his head, Luke rubbed his eyes with both hands before getting up and jumping down from the bed, his hands clenching his sleeves tightly as he padded towards his bedroom door, opening it gently and walking out into the corridor of the apartment. He blinked and walked towards Beru's room, but the door was shut tight, and he couldn't reach the door handle to turn it and enter, so turned around and moved towards Obi-Wan and Sara's room, only to find that their own door was locked.

Luke whimpered slightly, and rubbed his eyes again, trying to forget the nightmare that he had endured once again, so headed down the steps- one at a time, his hand holding onto the banister- and into the living space, where he carefully guided himself around the couch and coffee table, moving towards the balcony area.

The stars were still out, and the moon was full, reflecting in the still water of the lake near the Home, making Luke venture a bit further outside and stop at the railings. He was too big to squeeze through, but slung one arm up over the railing and wrapped the other around the support, gazing up at the sky and the twinkling stars.

_My mummy and daddy are up there... I wonder if they are the same star or single ones? Close to each other that they are almost touching, almost embracing._

Luke stepped back a few times and sat down on the small stone step, still looking up at the stars, his mind wondering.

_I miss you mummy and daddy... I wish you were here._

Luke wrapped his arms around his knees and buried his face in them, trying his best to not cry, desperate to be brave and calm himself just in case he upset the other Jedi around him. Rubbing his forehead against his clothed knees, Luke shivered as a cold breeze began to flutter his clothing and his hair, making him stand up and stumble back inside so that he could keep warm. Clambering up onto the couch, Luke pulled the pillows close to his small body in a make-shift nest, shielding him as the cold breeze began to waft its way inside the apartment, soothing the heated objects around him from the heat that had engulfed this part of Naboo early that day. Shuddering behind the pillows, Luke reached up and pulled the couch rug over him, soon plundering him into darkness, cutting off the light of the moon and the stars, but stopping the cold from nipping at his skin. Stretching a bit, Luke closed his eyes and tried to get to sleep again.

Only this time, another nightmare arose through his vision.

_Blood... He needed blood..._

_The smells of the living animals around him was making him starve, his craving for feeding was now starting to get the better of him, but he couldn't eat until he was absolutely positive that he had found his prey that Palpatine had sent him to seek out. Pulling his lips back, the creature moved through the flora, sniffing each and every part of its leaves to check and double check the scent._

_He was close..._

"Luke?" A gentle voice sounded.

Luke moaned and covered his face with his arms as the blanket was removed from over him, and gazed up to see Beru standing above him. He sat up carefully, rubbing his eyes, and Beru moved the pillows aside, making the boy mumble a protest as the cold air returned to its assault on his skin. Beru reached down and gently lifted him up, rubbing his back and hushing him, making Luke rest his head against her shoulder and close his eyes, falling asleep against her warm clothing and skin. Beru gently carried the boy back up the stairs and towards his room, placing him down in the bed and covering him with the duvet, tucking him in gently and placing a stuffed tauntaun against him, the boy instinctly hugging it tight to his body, sucking his thumb.

"Good night, little Jedi Prince," Beru whispered, and kissed Luke's forehead, the boy smiling before she brushed back some blonde hair from his face and walking towards the door of his room. Peeking back at him, Beru smiled gently, before closing the door behind her and heading back to her own room.

In the distance, the sun was already beginning to rise, soon basking the House in its morning glow, and the early rising Children began to stir, soon rushing out their rooms and heading into the playroom to meet before breakfast and classes that morning with the Masters. Luke enjoyed learning, and soaked up the information like a sponge, but was wary about trying something new, and today, Kyle and Galen had other ideas rather than waiting in the playroom for the adults to wake and make a move.

Galen got up from where the three of them sat and played with toy speeders, and bounded to the door.

"Where you going?" Kyle piped up, jumping to his feet and following the slightly shorter boy to the door.

"Outside," Galen drawled. "I want air! It's too constricting in here!"

"But, we can't go outside!" Luke said, getting to his feet as well. "Not without an adult!"

"You're just scared," Kyle taunted. "Scardie Luke!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not! Am not! Am not!" Luke stamped his foot in frustration. "I'm just not allowed outside!"

"Because you are scared," Kyle continued teasing, and he and Galen wandered out into the corridor, leaving Luke alone in the nursery. The boy bit his lip, unsure what to do, before slowly urging his feet to move, wandering into the corridor and then breaking into a run to catch up with the other two boys, as they carefully walked down the steps of the House and into the gardens near the building, the trio moving through the flowers and bushes, staring awe struck at the many colours and fragrances that assaulted their noses.

"Let's go further," Galen said in excitement. "Let's go into the forest!"

"No," Luke said again. "We can't-."

"Skywalker, _be quiet_," Kyle said firmly, and grabbed his sleeve, pulling Luke as they moved towards the forest, but the young Skywalker wasn't sure.

His Force senses were telling him something was wrong, something was out of place, and if they went any closer, then the object of the threat would probably emerge and they were in trouble. Luke squirmed in Kyle's grip as they entered the dark forests, and Luke swore for a moment that Obi-Wan's voice of concern and panic rang through his head, and he thought he heard- in the distance- the Jedi shouting for them.

"We have to go ba-," Luke started, when Kyle clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Shhh," Kyle said excitedly, and Luke followed his gaze towards the nearest patch of trees, where a massive hill was present, only...

It was breathing.

Luke lost all concern and fear, gazing at the breathing hill with curiosity, and said. "What..."

"Shush," Galen said firmly, but then whispered. "I dare you to touch it, Kyle."

"Why me?" Kyle said firmly. "Why not you?"

"Because it's a _dare_," Galen teased. "You gotta do it!"

Sometimes, Luke forgot that they were toddlers, and instead bickering adults that were wondering what they should do about a speeder, and the near-two year old stepped back as the sense of danger returned as Kyle crept towards the hill, raising a hand as he went to touch it.

Now, Luke was scared, and said. "Don't!"

Kyle slapped the hill, but nothing happened, and he turned, prancing back in triumph, a swagger in his step. "See! It's nothing to be-."

A rumble sounded behind them.

The three of them stopped, and looked at one another. For a moment, they prayed it was their stomachs, signalling that they were hungry, but when the hill began to move and a great tail un-wound from the hill, revealing a large head with blood-shot eyes and massive teeth, the boys screamed and tried to stumble away, struggling against one another.

The massive reptile stood on its hind legs, and led out an earth-shattering roar, breaking the webs that the spiders had formed over its muzzle over night, and turned its head towards them. Luke tripped, and landed amongst the roots of one tree, but Kyle and Galen scarpered immediately, making Luke cry out for them when he realised he was alone.

Shuffling around the tree, Luke shakily peeked back as the reptile moved towards his tree, its large snout appearing from behind the tree, sniffing the air as though it was looking for his scent. Breathing quickly, Luke slowly edged away to stop it from coming closer- he didn't know how well the reptile could smell- and moved around, glancing to see the tail swish on the other side of the tree. Gazing back, Luke saw the snout receed, and make the break for it.

He ran as fast as he could, hearing the reptile roar and follow, crashing through the twigs and undergrowth as it chased him, its loud and deafening roars nearly making Luke jump and stumble where he ran, the boy desperately trying to get back to the House, where he knew he was safe.

His running ending up making him lost, and he slipped down a hill and landed in a large dip of the hill, scrambling back and tangling himself in some vines as he tried to escape the reptile as it stalked down- now on all fours- towards the dip of the hill. It paused at one point, hesitating to place a claw down on the vines, unsure whether it was safe for the creature to venture out onto it, before deciding it _was _safe and placing a claw down.

Luke struggled and tried to pull away, trapped amongst the vines and grabbed his little knife from his belt, slashing at some of the vines.

He could feel the warm breath of the reptile behind him, and turned to face it, staring straight up into the black eyes as the reptile paused just inches away.

_So bright... So pure..._

Luke gasped when he heard the voice in his head, and recoiled, scared that the creature was going to hurt him, when it opened its jaws to finish the job that it had started. He closed his eyes tight, and braced himself for the conclusion to his life...

Only to find his arms loosened, and stumble, Luke staring up in shock at the reptile as it stared down at him. It lowered its snout towards him, and sniffed again, before its head shot up and it growled low.

_Jedi..._

"Jedi, friends!" Luke squealed. "Please! One is my guardian!"

The reptile looked at him with a sharp eye, before its voice sounded through his head again. _I kill Jedi... If they try to get you. You are mine; the creator wants the Vessel._

"Vessel?" Luke squeaked. "What- ah!"

The reptile grabbed Luke by the collar, and lifted him high off the ground, turning to look back when the sound of light-sabres appeared in the clearing. It snarled when it saw the group of Jedi appear, and Luke spotted his Uncle Obi-Wan there, amongst them.

"Unca Obi!" He squealed, reaching for him.

The red-haired Jedi stepped forwards. "LET HIM GO!"

The reptile snarled, and backed off, the spines that adorned both sides _and_ back-bone now bristled up in a threat display, the cheeks suddenly opening to reveal frills as the reptile moved into a threat display.

The Jedi backed off slightly at the sight, feeling slightly threatened, and Luke struggled in the jaws, his clothing soon ripping and the boy landed on the ground. Immediately, the Jedi moved in, their weapons dancing as the reptile attacked, smacking Bultar and Obi-Wan out the way before snapping at one individual.

Luke crawled into some bushes and hid there, cowering as the Jedi surrounded the creature, their weapons held ready and high, working like a pack of predators circling their prey, waiting for one to make the move to seal the reptile's fate. Covering his eyes just as Yoda leapt forwards, Luke cowered away, hearing the shouts of the Jedi and the roars of the creature as their weapons sliced and wounded the creature.

"IMMUNE TO LIGHT-SABRES, IT IS!" Yoda sounded.

Luke shook where he was, and heard someone scream as they were no doubt struck, and for a moment, Luke felt... _Weak._

Then, he heard the creature give a painful roar, and a female shout. "It's back! Slice from the back!"

Another scream, and then a massive vibration emerged from under Luke, and he whimpered. When a pair of hands took his, Luke gazed up to see Obi-Wan above him.

He didn't look too pleased; his eyes were a storm, and his expression was cold.

"You disobeyed me," He said lowly, and Luke shuddered, trying to not look at the mangled body of the reptile, and the injured form of Ferus Olin as he was carried by Garen and Quinlan as quickly as possible.

"I'm sorry," Luke started. "But Kyle and Galen..."

"Enough," Obi-Wan said, his voice brooking no argument. "I still told you to remain at the House, yet you disobeyed me; you should not have left the House, even if Kyle and Galen did so. Now, let's get back."

Luke nodded, his head bowed, and stuck close to Obi-Wan's side as the Jedi group left, Yoda taking a quick sample of blood from the killed reptile, before following. Keeping his head bowed, Luke couldn't face Obi-Wan's own gaze, and was ordered into his room to get cleaned up and changed.

_I wish mummy and daddy were here, and the Empire never existed, _Luke thought bitterly.

And across the Galaxy, Darth Vader stopped suddenly, sensing something unusual in the Force.


	55. Part IV, Chapter 6

**Okay, here's the next chapter, but I must warn you, it might get distressing at the end, and I apologize.**

**Thank you for the reviews so far!**

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><p><em>RISING DARKNESS<em>

Obi-Wan was still furious even when they arrived back at the River House, pulling Luke towards the apartment and ignoring Beru and Sara as they protested for him to calm down and think about his actions, but Obi-Wan took Luke straight to his study, and then released him, striding over towards the desk and pulling it open, searching for something inside its depths.

Biting his lip, Luke shuffled his feet, and opened his mouth to speak, but stopped and looked at the ground instead, unsure what to say or do other than avoid Obi-Wan's gaze; he had crossed the line, and now Obi-Wan was leaving the outer case that Luke had grown familiar with, and was now being introduced to Jedi Master Kenobi, the one that Beru had told him stories about when he was struggling to sleep, telling him of the Tales of the Jedi Order that existed two years ago before the Empire rose and destroyed them.

"I..." Luke raised his head. "I'm sorry."

Obi-Wan continued rummaging in the draw, and Luke bowed his head again, before continuing. "I'm sorry that I disobeyed you, but I don't understand..."

"Don't understand?" Obi-Wan repeated, and he turned to face Luke; he inwardly scolded himself. Luke was not even two, and although he was smarter than his years, Obi-Wan could tell that Luke still had trouble learning some qualities that were important. Maybe it was growing up around adults that made Luke more mature than act his age? Sometimes, that did not bode well for any child; growing up too quickly could have serious consequences.

_Patience_, Obi-Wan told himself firmly. _He's just a youngling. Be patient with him. _

"Why must I always hide away?" Luke asked. "Why must I also be watched by a Jedi?"

Obi-Wan sat down on his desk seat, and continued rummaging through the open draw, as though desperate to find something that lurked within it. Luke tried to peer over the edge to see what was there, only to stop when Obi-Wan gave him a look that told him to show respect towards the Jedi Master, even though he was still young.

"Because you are in danger," Obi-Wan finally answered after a while. "And I can't let the Emperor get his hands on you, Luke."

"But why?" Luke asked, gazing up at the older man's expression.

Obi-Wan didn't answer, and gave a smile when he found something inside his draw, pulling the object out, and making Luke's eyes widen.

It was a light-sabre, silver in colour with black stripes on one end, and what appeared to be a missing part on the other, with two metal crescents protruding from the same tip. The ignition buttons were red, and a small metal loop clicked against the metal hilt on the black end of the light-sabre. Obi-Wan moved off his seat, and before him, crossing his legs and indicating that Luke did the same, the toddler slumping down before the grown man.

"Luke, this weapon belonged to a friend of mine," Obi-Wan started. "He would have wanted you to have it."

"Me?" Luke squeaked. "Why?"

Obi-Wan turned the weapon in his hands. "Because he would have, Luke. You were important to him, more than you know."

Luke reached for it, but Obi-Wan chuckled, and placed it on the floor next to him, out of his reach. "Not just now, little one; when you are older, you can have his light-sabre."

"Really?" Luke said in excitement. "I can't wait!"

Obi-Wan chuckled again, and reached over and ruffled his hair, messing up the blonde bangs, the boy protesting and sorting his hair back into the way it was. Obi-Wan immediately drew Luke into a hug, and the boy jumped in his arms, surprised at the gesture.

"Don't wander off like that again, please?" Obi-Wan pleaded in his ear.

"Yes, Master," Luke whispered back, hugging him. "I promise I won't wander off like that again; I'll ask you next time."

"Good," Obi-Wan said, pulling away and standing, Luke following. "Come on, let's get Sara and your aunt, and go for lunch, shall we? It'll be your favourite, I promise; you were very brave today."

Luke's eyes lit up, and he rushed out before Obi-Wan could move, running towards Beru and Sara, grabbing Beru's hand and dragging her to the door, shouting. "Lunch time! Lunch time!"

Obi-Wan shook his head, and helped Sara to her feet, supporting her by the back and taking her arm gently. "Easy now."

"I'm fine," Sara said gently. "Just the baby is weighing me down, and my back is sore."

Obi-Wan began to massage her lower back with the hand that was supporting her, making her relax against his chest, her head falling onto his shoulder. Obi-Wan rested his cheek against her hair, and felt through their Force Bond that she was more comfortable now, stopping and asking. "Better?"

"Much," Sara answered, taking his hand. "Come on; let's not make Luke and Beru wait any longer."

Obi-Wan chuckled. "Luke may be small, but his stomach is large."

Sara laughed, and the pair headed out into the corridor and down towards the dining room, where Obi-Wan heard Luke's voice and his constant questions about when lunch was getting served and where the rest of the Jedi were, Beru being patient and answering them with the same answer. Obi-Wan and Sara both rolled their eyes in unison, and entered the room, heading into the dining room and joining Beru and Luke at the table, while Obi-Wan ventured towards the kitchen and and began to rummage through the fridge to get the ingredients ready.

Soon, the broth that Luke adorned so much was served, and Luke was tucking into it happily, his face in a wide smile as he spooned some of the meat and vegetable into his mouth, ignoring the droplets of stock that trailed down his chin. Tutting, Beru reached over and wiped it away, making Luke shake his head in protest.

_I wonder if our son or daughter will be like that? _Obi-Wan sent to Sara.

She rolled her eyes, and sent back. _Children will be children, Obi; just Luke has the stomach depth of a bottomless pit._

Obi-Wan choked and spluttered, trying to contain his laughter at her comment, turning a bright red and looking away. _Don't do that when I'm eating!_

_Ha ha, _Sara said smugly in his mind, and she raised one finger as though to say "one to me." Obi-Wan stuck his tongue out playfully at her, before returning to his soup and slowly consuming it, while Sara suddenly went and rummaged for some blue milk, quenching a craving that was arising.

Pulling a face, Obi-Wan said. "Blue milk. Yuck."

"Hey! It's good!" Sara protested. "You just don't like it because it stains your facial hair blue."

"Baad joke," Obi-Wan teased her, before saying to her baby bump. "Hear that, little one? Your mother tells bad jokes."

"Yeah, the baby can't hear you," Sara said, pinching his arm and kissing his cheek. "Remember that, Obi-Wan Kenobi."

Luke giggled at their conversation, and Obi-Wan gathered their dishes, placing them in the sink to be washed later.

"Luke?" Beru suddenly said, and he turned, eyes widening as he saw a distant look pass over Luke's face. "Lukie, what's wrong?"

Luke whimpered, and placed his hands over his head, eyes now squeezed tightly shut, swaying dangerously in his seat. Rushing forwards, Obi-Wan caught him before he fell, cradling the boy in his arms and staring down at him in worry; Luke was shaking violently, eyes squeezed shut and whimpering slowly getting louder.

Then his whimper turned into a scream.

Obi-Wan winced at the noise, and carefully placed Luke down on the ground, moving him into the recovery position, and gently shook him. "Luke, can you hear me? Beru, take his hand and hold it carefully!"

Beru nodded and collapsed to her knees next to her nephew, Sara calling for help. Gently, Obi-Wan shook him again before leaning down and saying into Luke's ear. "Luke, squeeze Beru's hand if you can hear me."

A moment passed, and Beru shook her head, fear and worry rising in her features. Obi-Wan was starting to panic; what was happening to him?

Another scream sounded- recognised as Galen's- and then Kyle as well, before the Jedi with them also shouted for help. When the door opened and Bultar stood there, her eyes wide as she saw Luke in the same situation, when a scream tore from Luke's throat, copied by the other two.

"Luke?" Obi-Wan yelled, and placed his hand on the boy's head, trying to soothe him with the Force. "Luke, listen to me!"

He was blasted back by an invisible force, and landed against the ground hard, winded, but immediately crawled towards Luke again and gathered the boy into his arms. Staring around at Bultar, Obi-Wan cried. "Get the ship, and contact Bail Organa immediately! We need to get to his medical base, now!"

He rushed out, with Beru and Bultar helping Sara as well, concern etched on her face as they headed straight towards the ship that was being prepped for the mission that Yoda and his team was going to undertake. Only, it seemed that the three Children with them were not the only ones that screamed.

A scream sounded nearby- also a child's- echoing around the valley.

And then another, and another, followed by others as the nearest village was drowned out by the screams of children as well.

Staring around, Obi-Wan shared a look of fear and confusion with the others, as Luke screamed again in his arms, followed by the other screams of the children. Now, he was beginning to understand...

The screams were not just any ordinary children; they sounded in the Force as well, in magnitude and strength, the Jedi quivering slightly as though the screams affected them as well.

The Children of the Force were suffering, channelling their pain through the most powerful of the generations, Luke receiving their distress just seconds after their screams. Feeling tears rise in his eyes, Obi-Wan stared down at the toddler in his arms; Luke curled against him, rushing to the ship, Kento carrying Galen and Rahm carrying Kyle, Yoda hurrying as quick as his aged body would let him.

And then the Force screamed as the Darkness swarmed around it, engulfing the bright star in the centre. Every Jedi felt the Force snap inside each and every one of them, while the Sith grew stronger, and their dark presence stretched even further than they had anticipated.

_I have won... _Palpatine sounded in their heads. _My creatures of darkness are destroying the innocent, and killing your Hope, Jedi. Try and stop me now; he has a week left to live._

_Try and stop me now._


	56. Part IV, Chapter 7

**Well, here we go! Enjoy!**

**Well, it is in two/three days that Apocalypse is released... And we are all wondering what will become of Luke and his friends and family... Will Abeloth be defeated? Well, we will find out soon! I hope that we don't lose our favourite characters... Or a death that would send an uproar might occur... Who knows?**

**Thanks for the reviews!**

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><p><em>THE LOSS OF HOPE<em>

Vader sat in his meditation sphere, helmet off and blood-red eyes closed tight as he let the tendrils of the Dark Side take hold of him, his rasping breathing only slightly improved from the Mustafar incident two years ago. Even now, his throat burned and he was forced to wave his hand and release the oxygen into his air-tight sphere, breathing it in and relaxing as it numbed the pain and made him more comfortable.

Vader searched the Force, wondering if there was any clue as to who it was that had spoken- a small, innocent voice- in the Force, so powerful and distressed that he had reacted as a result to it. For a moment, he had thought he was living in a dream, which the small voice was his offspring; after all, it was impossible for unrelated Jedi or Force-sensitives to communicate, unless they had a close bond with each other.

Like he and Obi-Wan did.

Vader suddenly had a thought; could he communicate with Obi-Wan, find his location and therefore the Jedi and help exterminate them before the Alliance would hide them again. Opening his eyes, Vader stared at the shadows of his sphere and blinked, trying to use the Force to relieve his sore eyes as the skin cracked and blistered, making him place his hands over his head and almost cry out at the pain. He swore, when he and Obi-Wan met, he would make him suffer for all the pain and suffering that he had endured because of Obi-Wan's _duty._

Vader closed his eyes again, and searched the Force, trying to find any indication that Obi-Wan was around- whether close or distant- and move through the pathways, trying to see him in the Force and pin a location on him, looking at different signatures and trying to locate the right one.

Then, he met reinforced shielding, and was forced to retreat, as they were both strong and impenetrable, even with his skills, he would not be able to penetrate those shields yet, and the risks to him would be even higher due to his powers still not being high enough to help him achieve the feats he was capable of when he was a Jedi, and now, maybe he can accomplish it beyond the power he had as an insignificant boy back then. His mind was drifting though, and he tried to return to what he was trying to accomplish at that moment, and seeing as he could not attempt to break into Obi-Wan's mind, he could focus on the other situation that he had sensed earlier.

_I wish Mummy and Daddy were here..._

Those words had made him confused, and for some reason, a powerful emotion of hope to rise through his body, as though Anakin Skywalker was trying to crawl back up and break through the shell that use to be him.

Vader clenched his hands and swallowed down that pathetic and weak man he once was; he was stronger than this! More capable!

But he still needed to know the truth, and deactivated his mediation sphere, the mask descending and covering his head, hissing when the air left the grooves and sealed him in his prison once again. The sphere turned a hundred and eighty, and Vader faced the side that had the gap for him to get up and move, slowly standing and descending the steps, sweeping his cape over his shoulders and out his room and into the corridor, passing troopers that saluted him and ignoring their voices of respect towards him.

Heading straight towards the bridge, Vader barked an order. "Admiral Yularen!"

Yularen turned and said. "Yes, lord Vader?"

"Yularen," Vader retorted. "I am leaving the _Revenge_ for a while; I leave you in charge of the vessel. We head to Tatooine, and are to remain there for a few days."

"Yes, my lord," Yularen said, knowing to now try his patience. "We will arrive within five hours..."

"Make it sooner," Vader interrupted. "I don't have time to waste here, Yularen. And I pray that you won't fail me like my last Admiral."

Yularen didn't cower, but his eyes flickered slightly with fear, and he said. "Yes, my lord."

Vader turned and walked to the viewing window of the bridge, staring outside at the stars and watching the rest of the Star Destroyers moving past the _Revenge _and towards the far reaches of space, soon jumping and leaving to the areas where the Rebels had begun their fighting against the Empire.

Focusing his mind on other things, Vader paced before the window a few times, his breathing quiet compared to the silence bar the clicking of buttons and mutterings as the officers and commanders discussed or gossiped over recent happenings with their families, girlfriends or, in general, topics that Vader had heard amongst the Clones when he served in the Clone Wars. Hearing the ship lurched into hyperspace, and feeling it despite his heavier form, Vader continued to stare out the window as though nothing had happened, his mind drifting back to Mustafar once again.

_Anakin... Why?_

Vader froze. That voice, that voice which comforted him some nights, only to be his worse nightmare that he saw each and every night.

Of her _death. _

_Padme?_

The soft voice didn't return for a moment, and Vader thought that he was probably going insane after all this time, and shook his head, turning and striding down the walk way of the bridge and back towards his chambers without a word to his Admiral and the others. Shedding his cape when he entered, Vader sat down and raised his hands to his helmet, wondering if he should attempt to take off the helmet and try and breathe the air without the aid of the respirator.

He heard the hiss and lifted the mask off, his breathing rasping as he tried to breathe the air, only to choke and fall, landing with a crash on the ground. Scrambling for his mask, Vader pulled it back on and took some steady breaths, trying to calm his pounding heart and the panic that had rose through his core.

_Hurts, doesn't it, Anakin? _Padme sounded in his head again.

Vader raised his head. "Padme?"

_Yes, it's me,_ she said bitterly. _You should have seen this coming._

Vader turned and saw her beautiful ghost standing just feet away. He raised a hand to touch her cheek, but she shook her head and turned her face away from him, taking a step back.

That made his heart crack.

"Padme?" He whispered.

_Don't touch me,_ she whispered. _Just... Just don't touch me._

"Padme," Vader begged; normally, he would never do begging, as he had always been a hard man, never moved, and never showing leniency towards his enemies. But to his wife, he felt small... He felt weak, and like a child in her presence now, instead of a passionate, caring and loving man towards her. "Please..."

_Please?_ Padme repeated. _Are you begging me for forgiveness after what you have done?_

Vader recoiled slightly, and said. "I was doing it for you!"

_You did it for yourself, not me, and not our baby! _Padme said firmly. _You selfish, good for nothing, son of a... I can't even get an insult because no word can describe you well enough, but monster._

Vader stared at her, and hung his head. "I'll put this right, Padme; I'll make sure that the Emperor will suffer, one day, for your death."

_You said that you will bring the Republic to peace, you made that same vow to the Jedi and to me, and broke it, _Padme said. _You didn't live up to that vow._

Vader couldn't say anything back to her. He just couldn't.

_There... Is something that you can do to earn my forgiveness,_ Padme said. _And I don't want to hear you moan, snide or make any sadistic comment about it until you hear me out; once you go to Tatooine, go to the Lars Homestead._

Vader's head snapped up- which hurt- and looked at her, but she continued.

_There, you will see what Palpatine has done to your brother and sister-in-law. And something more as well._

"What, Padme?" Vader asked. "What will I see?

Padme looked at him sadly, before saying. _Once you have seen what Palpatine has done, contact Obi-Wan._

"I will not!" Vader seethed, losing his control immediately.

_You will! _Padme's voice brook no argument. _You need his help, and he needs yours just now as well!_

"I won't contact that man!" Vader snarled. "He did this to me, he burned me alive! I would rather die than team up with that man!"

He made to turn and walk away, when Padme said.

_Not even when he saved our son?_

Vader froze at that, and turned to face her, shock on his face even though she could not see it due to the mask. His whole body went numb, and he grabbed hold of something to keep himself steady as he let the words sink in.

"What do you mean?" He stammered.

_He saved our baby,_ Padme said. _He took care of him for us. He is raising him as we speak, and tells stories of you, stories that made children stare in awe at Anakin Skywalker's pictures, and even though he doesn't know it yet, our little boy sees Anakin as a Hero, even though he does not know he is his father._

"My son..." Vader whispered, and that made Padme glare.

_He's not YOUR son,_ she spat. _He's the son of Anakin Skywalker, not the son of Darth Vader; you have NO right to him, and I won't let you destroy our son's life because of your selfish actions and misguided views. You won't tarnish his life like millions others that you have done._

"I will protect him," Vader said.

_No, you won't go near him, _Padme said. _Or I will warn Obi-Wan and the others, and you won't get a breath of him, or get within a system of our son. I want you to go to Tatooine and see the Lars- and what Palpatine had done and tried to do._

Vader froze, as his wife began to disappear. "Padme..."

_If you don't do this, I won't ever forgive you, and will hate you for the rest of your living days,_ Padme said. _And don't think I'm kidding, because I'm not._

She disappeared before Vader could place a hand on her shoulder to stop her, and he was frozen with his arm outsretched. Clenching his fist, Vader let his arm fall and turned away, storming out the room and out into the corridor, heading towards the bridge with stomping feet.

Whether the ship had arrived at the system or not, he didn't care; he was going to Tatooine.

Ooo

Obi-Wan sat in the waiting room, hands over his head, and leaning on his elbows, eyes staring down at the floor as he waited for the medic's verdict over Luke's condition, his head dizzy and completely tense as he heard Luke scream again from the room down the corridor. His emotions rising too high, Obi-Wan got up and paced the corridor, ignoring Sara as she watched his movements with a critical eye, her hand on her baby bump.

"Obi, please, sit down," Sara said. "Before you make me dizzy."

Obi-Wan stopped, sighed, and sat down next to her, clasping her hand tightly, but stared down at his feet, which twitched slightly in anxiousness as he waited for the medic to come and tell him what was going on, and how to fix the mess.

"Master Kenobi?"

He raised his gaze and saw the white-clothed medic approach them and he and Sara immediately stood up, facing him as he stopped before them. Gazing at the pair, the medic said. "Come with me."

Obi-Wan felt worry rise through his body, and followed the medic shakily with Sara keeping a tight hold of his hand, moving towards the room that Luke was inside.

"Is he okay?" Obi-Wan asked frantically, unable to hold the question in any longer.

"He's sleeping," The medic answered carefully. "And we are keeping a close eye on him, just in case something goes wrong."

Obi-Wan nodded, swallowing a lump in his throat as they stopped outside a window that looked into the room. Luke was lying in a bed, curled up with a teddy that was twice his size, and sucking his thumb while Beru sat by his side, rubbing his back and leaning over to kiss his forehead. Sara touched his arm, and looked up at Obi-Wan in worry, but the Jedi Master felt so numb that he didn't feel her touch.

Deep anger rose in his body, and he gazed at Sara. "I'm going to investigate this beast that nearly kidnapped him, and I'm going to make sure that they are eradicated, but..." He swallowed. "I can't leave you."

"Go," Sara urged. "I'll be fine. Please, go and help the other Jedi."

"But..." Obi-Wan started, until Sara interrupted him.

"Obi, I will be fine, as I don't believe the baby will be arriving any time soon," Sara said. "Please, go, and find out what is causing Luke to act this way, just in case it affects our baby as well."

Obi-Wan bit his lip, before he kissed her. "I'll be back as soon as I can, and then we can prepare for our baby. Properly."

Sara smiled, and brushed some hair out his face. "Better go and get yourself ready. Good luck, sweetheart."

"I'll be fine, love," Obi-Wan said. "I mean, have you ever had to patch me up yet?"

Sara laughed. "Get going!"

Obi-Wan smiled, hugged her and gazed at Luke one last time, before he rushed off to the hangar to join the strike team.


	57. Part IV, Chapter 8

**Well, here's the next update! There are some villains mentioned at the end... Let's see if you can guess who they are!**

**Thanks for the reviews, and keep them coming!**

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><p><em>RETURN TO CORUSCANT<em>

"Master Yoda? You sent for me?" Shaak Ti announced, as she entered the room where Yoda and a few of the scientists of the Rebellian were working on what the creature was that had tried to kidnap Luke just a few days ago. Her black eyes widened as she saw the creature again, and took a step back, as though worried that the creature would jump up again and attack them without hesitation.

Her eyes raked over the massive jaws that sheathed many sharp fangs, the claws that were on the end of the muscular arms shone black, sharpened and deadly. The spines that adorned its back and sides were trimmed down to the hilt, stopping any chance of difficulty when being examined, making Shaak bite her lip slightly and approach with caution.

"A magnificent creature, it is," Yoda admitted, joining her side. "Yet, so full of darkness, it is."

"Have you identified what it is?" Shaak asked.

"Hmmm," Yoda glanced at it. "Unable to identify, without looking at the records at the Temple."

Shaak sighed heavily; with the Temple on Coruscant now converted to Palpatine's Palace and getaway, seeking access into the Archives that were now closed off and only viewed by the Emperor and his closest advisors would be more difficult to get into. Even with disguises, the chances of gaining entry into the Archives would not be difficult either way.

Shaak turned to look at the creature, and said. "It is a magnificent creature, I agree, but why target Luke?"

"Creatures of the Dark Side, these are," Yoda said. "And attracted to those of the Light, they seem to be. Luke, powerful in the Force he is, but seen as full of light, the creature does, in order to target Luke."

Shaak bit her lip, before saying. "And now, why has Luke started acting distressed?"

Yoda's ears fell. "Channeled the distress, the Force has, through Luke Skywalker, and possibly with the other children of the Force affected at the same time. Seen Luke as their voice, they have, and decided to use that advantage for it."

"Because of his power," Shaak concluded. "Which only strengthens the claim that Luke is the Hope we have been waiting for."

"Hmph," Yoda tapped his gimmer against the ground once. "Still don't believe it, Rahm Kota and Kento do; believe that Luke is only served to be a nothing, they believe, and that Galen could be the one instead."

"Galen has a high count, but not as high as Luke's own," Shaak said. "How can they deny that?"

"Entitled to opinions, everyone is," Yoda said sadly. "But remain neutral in this, we must."

Shaak nodded, before turning to look at the beast before them, as the Rebel scientists began their work on dissecting it. She wrinkled her nose at the smell, watching as the scientists began taking out the teeth and claws, before cutting open the claws and flesh that surrounded the jaws. Glands of poison appeared, and Shaak winced as one gland burst and began dissolving the table with droplets of acid, burning the floor at the same time.

"Very highly evolved," Shaak concluded.

"Or very well manufactured," One scientist said. "It is obvious that some of the features here are not meant to have been from the original."

"What do you mean?" Shaak asked.

"The glands for the poison seem to be relatively unusual for this creature, and maybe that's why the pelvis has been changed from being one for a four legged- there is evidence there for the structures not being well... Joined with the rest of the body. The pelvis is half way between bipedal and quadraped; maybe with a big more tinkering by who bred these creatures selectively, it may have become a biped," He answered. "We have also had a look at the cranium; it is larger than any other reptilian creature I have ever seen, and the brain is highly developed with smell, taste and coordination, showing that they are important. But it also seems that speech is a factor that would have been evolved if given more time to do so."

"That... Thing talked in our head," Shaak said. "How is that possible?"

"Evidently, used the Force, it has," Yoda said. "Yet, an unnatural strength in it, I have sensed. More than any other."

Shaak hissed through her elongated canines, and said. "It is evident that Palpatine is behind the breeding of these creatures, but what I don't understand is _why_ he bred them in the first place?"

Yoda ran a hand over his forehead, before saying. "Cracks in the Force, you have all sensed?"

Shaak nodded. "Everyone has sensed it."

"Ever since, came into being, theis creature is," Yoda said. "Possible it is, that has a natural instinct to take innocent lives, and it does. Now, understand that it can cause fractures in the Force, we do."

"Fractures that are slowly leaking the Dark Side against the light," Shaak said. "And causing these problems that we are having; if the Dark Side is seeping out of the border it should have and towards the source of the light... It explains why Luke is suffering as such."

Yoda nodded, before turning to the scientists. "Thank you, I do, for your help. Keep us up to date, you must, on any progress you make."

"Yes, Master Yoda," The scientist said. "I wil also try and do some research to see if there is any history on these creatures."

Yoda nodded, and led Shaak out of the room and down the corridor towards where they could sense the rest of the Jedi slounging around. Gazing around when they entered the viewing deck, where the strike team was also gathered and preparing, Yoda saw Obi-Wan and Sara with Garen and Vos, talking in low tones, before Obi-Wan turned when he sensed the Master enter.

In unison, they all bowed, and Yoda said. "Obi-Wan, how is Luke?"

"Luke is sleeping," Obi-Wan answered. "He is suffering, and slowly weakening as a result of what has occurred. We must be quick."

"Why is Palpatine so interested in Skywalker's son?" Rahm demanded. "Apart from being Anakin's offspring?"

"It's because he's the son of the Chosen One that is the reason why Palpatine wants him dead," Obi-Wan retorted. "And he's more powerful than any of us in this room. Why would the Force not want Luke to exist?"

"Alright, say I believe you," Rahm said. "What can we do to stop these creatures?"

"We can't just go up and attack them, light-sabres blazing," Bultar said. "They're immune to our weapons unless we strike from the back, and it has to be a down-ward strike on the back of the neck to ensure a hit."

Garen sighed and ran a hand through his hair, before turning to Yoda. "The strike team... Can't we split up? One goes to Coruscant and find information, the other goes and hunts down these creatures?"

"How are we supposed to take down these creatures if we don't know what we are up against?" Ferus asked. "I mean, come on, there were how many of us against that one beast, and we struggled to deal with it! What chance does three Jedi have against these things! It's obvious numbers are the key."

"Your lack of faith in your skills is disturbing," Kento scolded. "We were caught unawares by the creature at first, but now we are a bit better prepared, and know that as long as we strike from the back and work as a pack, we might be able to strike it down."

Brood bit her lip, before saying. "I'm sorry, but count me out of this mission."

"Why, Marris?" Shaak asked, bewildered; usually her apprentice went haring into battle without a concern in the world, and now she was having doubts!

"Master, what if something bad happens?" Brood said. "We would need a couple of Jedi to remain here and keep the channels open between the teams across the Galaxy, like in the Clone Wars, that way we can keep an eye on everyone, where-ever they are. And, we need Jedi here to keep an eye on Kyle, Galen and Luke as well, should anything bad happen to them."

"Wise, your Padawan is, Master Ti," Yoda complimented. "Remain here, her and Ferus shall, to keep our communications open between one another, and aid us, they shall, should any change occur with the situation."

"Fine," Ferus muttered. "Master."

Obi-Wan gazed at Yoda. "Who will go?"

"Hm," Garen started. "Myself, Kento and you can go to Coruscant and see what dirt we can dig up about these creatures. Yoda, Rahm, Shaak and Bultar can head over to planets where she creatures have been sighted and are causing problems."

"And me?" Tsui grunted.

"You can come with us," Obi-Wan said. "We might need your size to sneak in and unlock the doors on the other side; we can't exactly crawl through vents without problems."

"Yeah, last time that happened, I got stuck," Garen muttered under his breath, but loud enough for Bultar to hear and giggle.

"It is decided," Shaak said. "Those teams will go, and we can have some Rebel Troops with us as well at the same time, to make everything easier for us as well."

"Excuse me," One Rebel said, and the Jedi jumped; they had forgotten that they were there. "We have a way for you to get through the Empire's defences; it so happens that we have stolen a shuttle that belonged to the Empire."

"Good," Garen commended. "Which makes sneaking through and landing on Coruscant slightly easier. Problem is, what if they ask for a code?"

"Easy," The same Rebel answered. "The shuttle we happen to stole is."

He broke into a grin. "Just happened to have belonged to an officer."

Some of the Jedi chuckled, and Obi-Wan said. "Good, which means we have the codes for many of the Imperial stations and experimental chambers; if we can just see what Palpatine is breeding in those chambers... Maybe we can also find out how we can combat these beasts as well."

The Rebel nodded. "We are ready for orders, Generals."

Shaak nodded. "Take a hand-full of my squad; they can help us find and take down the beasts on planets where they are being stationed, help us to even the odds."

"Yes, General," The Rebel said. "I shall send the order out, and meet you and the other Generals in the hangar."

"We shall be there in two hours," Rahm commanded. "Go."

The Rebels with them nodded and rushed off down the corridors, while the Jedi dispersed and went their separate ways.

It was time to prepare, and each Jedi returned to their apartments.

Entering into his own, Obi-Wan spotted Sara, who gazed up at him, and said. "Where are you heading for?"

"I'm going to Coruscant, to collect Intel," Obi-Wan answered, heading towards her when she tried to get up, and they both made their way to the bedroom they shared.

"Be careful," Sara said, as Obi-Wan began to pack his light gear for Coruscant.

Obi-Wan froze at that, his hands hesitant in wondering what he should pack. The Jedi leaving to go to Coruscant would be busy getting equipment and clothing ready that could help them blend in, sneak around and gather data like they did in the Old Times, before the Empire rose to power. Now, with the Rebel Alliance, there was a necessity to do so once again, but with a purpose to also destroy.

"I will be," Obi-Wan said. "I always am."

Sara giggled, and said. "You and I both know that is not true."

"Possibly," Obi-Wan turned to face her. "But I'm not alone this time and I have help."

Sara nodded, before they embraced each other tightly, eyes closed and refusing to let each other go in case they lost one another once they do. Stroking her hair, Obi-Wan buried his face against her blonde locks, before saying. "I'll be back soon, I promise."

"Good luck," Sara said, kissing his cheek. "Try and come back for our baby."

"I will," Obi-Wan promised, picking up his bag. "I will."

He gazed at her one last time, caressed her cheek and then her baby bump, before kissing her again, and slowly leaving her as he moved out into the corridor of the ship. Taking a couple of steady breaths, Obi-Wan released his turbulent emotions into the Force, before forcing his feet to move and head towards the hangar.

Ooo

Luke wondered what he was staring at; it was like he was in a cave of darkness, and light was emitting from his entire body, making the monstrous claws and jaws he was seeing receed only slightly, as though they were a bit terrified of him, but not enough to cause them running. Gazing around, Luke spotted different shapes that appeared in the darkness, and blinked at each of them in turn, wondering what they were.

A collection formed into a tall cyborg, his breathing rasping and one hand reaching towards him, and said. "_My Son... Come with me... I will protect you, and together, we can rule the Galaxy as Father and son!"_

Luke recoiled, and shook his head, turning away to look elsewhere, the cyborg now disappearing and where his gaze was, another shadow appeared.

It was a tall lizard, with his dark hair tied up above his head, and elongated nails. Luke shrank back, watching as the lizard gave a sneering smile and said.

"_I can't wait to exact my revenge on you, Boy. You will pay for everything that has happened to my family!"_

"NO!" Luke screamed, and recoiled, shielding his head.

A whip cracked behind him, and Luke jumped around, seeing a woman with scars over her face, a scarf on her lower face and wearing a support like the cyborg did as well. Her scarf moved slightly, as though she was smirking, and a rasping voice sounded.

"_I have waited a looonnggg time for this moment, my old friend. My final victory... I shall break that kind, loving heart by killing the one you hold dear..."_

Luke was now terrified, and screamed, trying to get out as more shadows appeared; officers in Imperial outfits, dark clothed individuals, and many others...

Even the Emperor's voice sounded, screaming. "_YOU ARE MINE JEDI! MY PROPERTY! MY APPRENTICE!"_

"NO!" Luke wept, scrambling for a grip so that he can get away from this place.

One of the dark shadows came closer, as another innocent life was taken, a flame extinguishing around him that had formed his protective barrier, stopping the darkness getting closer. Luke thought he was free, pulling himself away from the enemies, and gazed back at them, before looking towards his destination...

A white faced individual- pale as snow- with long waved blonde hair, black eyes that had only small stars inside, and a wide mouth full of sharp teeth, which stretched in a sneer. The individual raised a hand, large tentacles extending towards Luke, and making him cry...

_I have great plans for you... I am your worse nightmare..._

"NO!" Luke screamed, and jumped awake, sweating violently and seeing Beru and a few medics crowded around him. He writhed and struggled against them, crying to get free, desperate to get away from them and the shadows, a cold sweat making his skin sting violently and his whole body to go into shock.

With an agonized scream, Luke collapsed, shaking violently, back onto the bed, eyes wide and pale as he felt the nightmares engulf him again.


	58. Part IV, Chapter 9

**Here we go! The next update! Enjoy!**

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><p><em>RETURN TO TATOOINE<em>

The shuttle burst through the atmosphere of Tatooine, slowly descending through the desert storm that was raging across the surface at that moment, seen from the depths of space as a massive blur on the surface of the planet, and shaking slightly as the sand began to clog the ventilation systems and cause the engines to stutter and almost stall. But for the individual that was piloting it, the storm was nothing, as he had once rode his pod-racer through these kind of storms for his old slaver every year since he could manage to pilot one when he was little.

Today- present day- he piloted his own personal fighter, and sometimes his own Star Destroyers when the fools on board were completely useless to do so, and if he could, update them to become machines of destruction. Once upon a time, he had tinkered away on the _Twilight_ and his own Jedi fighter, upgrading the systems and making them the top ships in the system, and even had done the same to Obi-Wan Kenobi's own fighter, where they would both laugh when one another got oil squirted on their faces or hair, mutter curses and agreements over something that wasn't right.

Those were the days of Anakin Skywalker, and he fell that day when he marched on the Jedi Temple, slowly disappearing into the dark tendrils of the Force as the darkened part of him began to eat away completely at the man he once was, and bury the light side down into the depths. He nearly fully became Darth Vader on Mustafar, when Kenobi had severed his limbs and left him for dead after the lava burned him beyond repair, damaging his respiration system so much that he was now stuck on a life-support for the rest of his life.

Anakin Skywalker was gone when he sensed Padme Naberrie Skywalker take her last breath, and the bond that was once there between them became nothing but darkness, extinguishing the light- the last light- he had once had during those dark times. Now, Darth Vader stood in the remains of the shell that was once Skywalker, and he was the dominant one.

Vader chuckled to himself as he began to question his sanity over these thoughts; what use was it to linger on the past, when he could now shape the Galaxy into the way it should be? With the strong reigning supreme and the weak being forced to rely on them- those greedy gundarks- to help protect them, rather than the mess that was once the Republic? To him, the Empire was more powerful than the Republic, and there was more chance of peace being established as such, with an army that could destroy a planet within a heart-beat...

His thoughts drifted to the Death Star, being built in secret on the out-skirts of the Galaxy; if only the Rebels knew what the Empire had installed for them! Once the station was fully operational, the Rebels would be crushed with a single blow, and the Empire would reign supreme over all and everything, with Vader as the Emperor's second-in-command, as it should be, and always. He didn't like the riff-raff that the Emperor had started to fill the offices of his Senate, and even then, Vader knew it was only temporary, as once the Death Star was ready, they would be casted off, and the might of the space station would be demonstrated if they started to revolt as well.

Pulling his thoughts back to his task at hand, Vader turned the shuttle and balanced it on its side as he drifted down towards the port in Mos Eisley, glad that the inhabitants were now inside and out of the storm; he did not want anyone interrupting him in his task, and the last thing he wanted was his Master discovering what he was doing. He had commanded Yularen to keep his trap shut about where Vader was going, and the same was repeated to the crew as he took the shuttle for himself, sick and tired of waiting for the pilot to stop babbling constantly.

Landing the ship gently into the docking bay, Vader powered the engines down, before grabbing a black cloak; he knew it would be impossible to wear over his large bulk, but he had to try and blend in with the shadows. He had some friends on Tatooine that would lend him a speeder, which he could take to the Lars homestead.

Sweeping the cloak over his shoulders and pulling the thick scarf over the lower half of his mask, Vader turned the setting on his life-support down so that he could have a larger supply of oxygen entering his system and stopping him choking on the sand particles should they enter through the thick material he had tied around the base of his mouth. Patting the light-sabre on his belt to make sure that he had it still on his belt, Vader tied a pistol holster around his thigh and sheathed an Imperial class one in the holder, before venturing out of the ship and towards the door of the docking bay, ignoring the hiss of the ship as it settled on the ground, and ripped it open, walking towards a pair of hooded figure that waited with a specialised speeder for Vader to use due to his large bulk.

Nodding at the pair, Vader mounted the speeder-bike, waved his hand to Force-suggest that they had not seen him, and to go about their business, before starting it up and accelerating out of the small area and towards the streets; the storm was starting to die back down, and the sand was now a bit less violent towards him, but still, the remnants managed to get into his breathing mask and Vader found himself coughing a bit, ignoring the glances when inhabitants began to get confused over the sound, only to disappear into the crowd that was slowly beginning to appear in the streets.

Increasing the speed, Vader felt his cloak billowing behind him as he entered the dunes, moving through the setting twin suns that were beginning to bask him in the last of their light, feeling the diminishing heat through his cloak and suit. His hands clenched as he felt memories- bad ones- rise through him once again, and ground his teeth together, noticing that the sand was now becoming coarse and rocks were appearing, indicating intervention of some sort of species, possibly tusken raiders.

His grip relaxed when he spotted the familiar dome of the home just on the horizon, and then, with a sudden sinking feeling in his heart...

Smoke.

Vader pushed the speeder to the limits it could handle; even though he had cut himself off from the Lars, he could not help but feel grateful that they took in his supposed son when he was unable to, or couldn't. Slowing the speeder when he approached the ranch's borders, he gasped in shock at the state that the Home was in.

There were black scorch marks all over the hardened stone of the dome entrance, and the vaporators were bent over in half or slightly, parts missing or wires shredded, but the scorch marks were what Vader was more worried about, which meant that there had once been a fight here, and that made him also _scared. _

What had become of his step-brother and family? Were they safe, did they flee? He needed to know!

His fear rose and he tried to push the speeder further, only to fail and nearly cause the speeder to stall and roll, only for Vader to kick the breaks and come to a sudden stop. Getting out, he strode towards the home, and yelled.

"OWEN! BERU!"

His head turned this way and that, desperate for any sign or hear any noise that would give him an indication of where they were around, safe, secure... Anything!

Vader stopped before the dome and reached for the door, grasping the handle and pulling it open and clean off the supports for it. Letting it fall from his hands, Vader placed a hesitant boot on the stone steps, almost believing that they were rigged or unstable, before his worry got the better of him and he rushed down the steps, stumbling at the last ones and falling against the wall, staring around at what was once the home of his mother before she died, and before the Clone Wars raged throughout the Galaxy.

Dead flowers and scorched marks took his eyes immediately, and the place looked as though it had been turned upside down, with tables, chairs, pots and all sorts thrown across the open courtyard and glass shattered on the ground, still around regardless of the time-period. Vader gazed around, before shakily walking towards one of the damaged doors, raising a hand and opening the half-destroyed door, letting it swing back and creak, before slowly stepping over the threshold.

A cot stood at the back, with dust on the frame-work and the blankets that had framed an infant which had laid underneath them. A wooden box lay on the ground, darkened at one point with blood, and Vader picked that up first, sensing his Master's- Sith Master- presence on the box, but then another, younger and more powerful, from the cot.

He approached it, and focused on the Force, trying to retrace the steps that had occurred that day, bringing forth images that soon began to haunt his very vision...

A little Boy, a baby no doubt, sleeping in the cot, and a hunched cloaked figure that Vader recognised as Palpatine walking forwards, drawing a knife from inside his robes. The next words nearly made Vader's heart stop.

_"Every little Boy ends up being a Hero, Luke Skywalker. But not you; you shall die before you can even walk and talk, before you are trained as a Jedi, and defeat me._

_"Before you become Grand Master and thus unstoppable!" _

Then, Vader saw a woman- no doubt Beru- rush forwards and smash the box against Palpatine's head, the Sith falling to the ground. He cried out, begging his sister-in-law to run as fast as she could, and get his son away and to safety, only to see Palpatine get up and stalk towards them, Beru rushing out into the courtyard.

He heard the yells of stormtroopers, and the familiar roar of Force lightning, and the clink of a knife as though it sunk into something, but no baby cry- Palpatine had failed to strike his son! Which meant...

Luke was alive! His son was alive!

Vader strode out of the room, and stared around, hoping that there was someone or something nearby that would tell him where they were going, only to find his eyes linger on a skeleton, burned and charred. Vomit threatened to escape, and Vader was forced to turn away, realising who it was that was lying before him.

"Owen..."

For a moment, Anakin Skywalker broke through, and Vader placed a hand over his mask and cried loudly, falling to his knees beside the skeleton, his free hand clenching the sand tightly, dragging it close to his knees.

_Palpatine did this... He tried to kill my son... That lying... He lied from the beginning!_

Overwhelming anger rose, and Vader threw back his head and roared to the sky, the supports of the dome crumbling, and the other structures nearby also falling, as Darth Vader screamed his anger, the very Force shaking as the Sith let his rage over-take everything else; his common sense, his patience...

Darth Vader stormed out and away from the Homestead, jumping into his speeder and starting it up.

_I'm going to find Luke... I'm going to get him to safety, and when I do, I am going to not only kill Obi-Wan Kenobi... I am going to make sure Palpatine suffers for EVERYTHING he has done to me!_


	59. Part IV, Chapter 10

**Sorry for the lack of updates recently, but I have been fighting off the bad case of writer's block XI**

**But anyways, here is the next chapter for you, and I apologize before hand if it is a rubbish update.**

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><p><em>THE RESEARCH FACILITY<em>

Vader tried to keep his breathing and anger to a minimum as he moved through the corridors of the Star Destoyer that was now enroute to Coruscant, his fists clenched and his whole form now tense and his hand twitching close to his light-sabre, ready to grab and ignite the weapon to strike Palpatine down should he fail to answer, _truthfully, _the questions he had to ask.

Striding onto the bridge, Vader caused his officers to scarper as he pushed them out the way, moving towards the Admiral that was now starting to cower before him. His temper starting to get the better of him, Vader turned to the Admiral, and barked an order.

"Return us to Coruscant. _Immediately." _

The Admiral shuddered and nodded, turned to repeat the order to the Bridge, shouting it at the top of his voice. Vader then grabbed the Admiral by the arm and turned him around.

"And do not repeat this to the Emperor. I want to deal with this situation on Tatooine, myself."

The Admiral nodded, wincing as Vader's grip tightened dangerously around his arm, and threatening to snap the bone inside. Realising this, Vader debated whether doing just that, just as a warning to the Admiral that- if he disobeyed- then he would have more than just a broken arm on his body, and possibly a broken back would end his life as slowly and painfully as possible. But, Vader decided against it, and released the Admiral's arm, turning and striding back down the corridor and ignoring the Admiral as he rubbed his obviously severely bruised arm.

Clenching his hands into fists, Vader slammed open the door to his quarters, not caring as it crashed against the wall and back, the metal bucking slightly under the force of his attack towards it. Gazing towards his meditation sphere, Vader stomped towards it and activated the sphere, watching it split and separate for him to enter easily and without problems to his breathing should he remove his helmet.

Sitting in the seat and relaxing, Vader raised his hands and carefully un-sealed his helmet, letting it rise above his head. Immediately, his skin began to seize up, and his chest started to burn from the inside, making him choke and splutter violently, but he immediately sunk into the depths of the Dark Side, trying to seek the energy it gave him during combat, that raw power that made him nearly indestructable!

Immediately, the pain began to receed, and then suddenly, he found himself _breathing._ Vader disengaged the sphere, and let the top rise off, wondering if he can breathe the air, praying that he could...

A minute passed, and then another, and finally, his lungs began to burn again. Vader coughed and waved his hand at the panel, lowering the sphere again and clasping a hand to his chest, coughing violently as he struggled to re-adapt to the oxygen that was now pumping into his meditation sphere.

_Hurts, doesn't it? _A familiar voice sounded.

Vader ignored it, knowing who it was, and growled low as he grabbed his helmet and raised it towards his eyes, staring into the black sockets that hid his expression- his face- and glared deep into them. He could see his reflection inside; the pale skin, burned and blistered, and the red eyes that stared back, un-natural and evil.

He placed the helmet back down on the stand, and crossed his legs in the meditative pose, resting his hands on his knees, before closing his eyes.

_Use your hatred... Your anger... The Force is my ally... _

He felt the Dark Side rise through him, the dark tendrils gently caressing his soul, whispering to him that he was safe, and would soon be more powerful than anything else in the Galaxy. Vader gazed deep within the Darkness, marvelled at the power he sensed from it...

Then, he saw it. The Storm Beasts, obliterating everything in their paths, different members of the pack of eight they had managed to successfully create, killing civilians and any living animal in their paths, but where was the dominant? Vader scoured the planet that the dominant had been sent to, only to sense nothing but... _Death. _

It was gone; the dominant was dead! But... How?

Then, Vader froze; the only way to have killed a Storm Beast effectively was by a Jedi... Had he just discovered the Jedi's location without realising?

The Dark Side whispered that the damage was being done to its counterpart, and Vader could sense it; a dwindling essence in the Light Side of the Force, and as he peered through the shadows, he saw a small star amongst the dark vapours that were slowly beginning to over-whelm the small flames that surrounded it. The light vapours were disappearing under the shadows, over-whelmed and unable to stop it, but the shadows were still being kept at bay by the flames.

_I wonder what those flames are?_ Vader quizzed, but he could sense someone coming to his quarters in the distance. Taking one last glance the fading light star, Vader pulled himself out of meditation, and opened his eyes, reaching over and taking his helmet, raising it above his head and brought it back down, sealing him in his prison once again. Deactivating the meditation sphere, Vader glanced up at the officer that was standing before him, and demanded.

"What is it, officer?"

"We are arriving at Coruscant at 0800 hours," He announced. "Shall I inform the Emperor?"

"No," Vader said. "Do not inform the Emperor, and do not blab to this about anyone else, understood?"

The officer quivered but nodded, bowing before walking off.

_Yes, my Master has some questions to answer._

Ooo

_It has changed so much since I was last here. And that was ten months ago, just when Luke was half-way through before his first year; how time flies..._

Obi-Wan stared out from the window of the cafe that he and the other Jedi were sitting in, hoods up and occupying a booth that was hidden completely in shadow, so that no-one knew that they were there, and the Droid that owned the place was blind to them with a quick Force-trick on it's circuits. Gazing at Garen, Kento and Tsui, Obi-Wan nodded, and the group got up, moving out of the cafe and into the streets, sticking to the shadows and avoiding the storm-troopers that were still parading around the streets, stopping random individuals and demanding identification.

Obi-Wan and the other Jedi pulled their hoods up and continued on in the shadows, pausing when a squad of troopers moved in their direction, rifles ready as though knowing somehow that they were Jedi.

With a wave of his hand, Garen made the suggestion that they were nothing, that the troopers were just hallucinating that the Jedi were there, and turned away from them, walking past like they were part of the concrete wall that the Jedi were now leaning against. Sharing a look with each other, Kento lifted Tsui onto his back and the human males continued their movements in the shadows, heading towards the Jedi Temple- or the newly christened Imperial Palace.

Obi-Wan shuddered slightly, before his eyes spotted something in the distance, and he paused the group, staring at a classy speeder that had pulled up outside the front of the Temple, with escort cars and speeders surrounding it. Their eyes watched as a familiar, stooped hooded figure descended the steps and towards the cars, making Tsui hiss violently in Kento's ear and shift as though ready to attack the Emperor that was now getting inside the car.

"Should we follow?" Garen asked.

"He might just be going to the Senate," Kento argued.

"But the Senate is the other direction..." Tsui said. "Where is he going?"

"Let's follow," Obi-Wan said. "Silent running, and keep our signatures masked to a minimum."

The other three Jedi nodded, and they dulled their signatures down to a minimum, before running in the shadows, so that if anyone looked at the Jedi even for a _second... _They were gone, and it looked as though they were imaging them. The brown cloaked individuals continued their silent movements, looking like shadows or an extension of those that were already there.

Moving up and leaping up the walls, the Jedi landed on the roof of a building, before moving at high speed over it, leaping over the gaps effortlessly, following the dark speeder and the escort, which was heading towards a massive tower complex, grand and looking over the building site for the Star Destroyers.

"Hey," Garen's blur sounded next to Obi-Wan. "You know what we can do?"

"Yes?"

"If we get there, we can split and sabotage the building of the Star Destroyers," Garen suggested. "We could hault the production and help the Rebels get a foot-hold in some of the systems."

"For how long?" Kento's blur asked. "A week?"

"Which can make all the difference," Garen argued.

Obi-Wan halted and the others stopped as well, staring over at the tower complex and the Star Destroyer facility before them, new cruisers being constructed before them. Obi-Wan scanned each hangar, his eyes pausing as he spotted the scaffolding over the cruisers, noting weak points.

"Tsui," He said lowly. "You can sneak in, plant explosives and disrupt the construction by destroying the supports holding the Star Destroyers; without the ability to hold themselves up, the Star Destroyers fall and can be damaged, and with luck, we might take the facility with us, if the creatures are being bred there."

"Problem is this," Kento said. "The loss of innocent life. What if the individuals building are slaves?"

"Then, we free them," Garen said. "On the next break, we can convince them to flee, and warn them that there is a bombing or we envisioned an Imperial attack on them once they finish building the Star Destroyers."

Obi-Wan nodded. "We split up. Half of us go into the facility, and the other half destroys the Star Destroyers."

"I call sabotage," Garen playfully raised his hand. "I have some tricks up my sleeve."

"So do I," Tsui said.

Obi-Wan nodded, before saying. "Keep our comms in our ears, so we can communicate with one another and know what and where each of us is."

The other three nodded, and they took off their robes to reveal lighter Jedi attire, consisting of black attire, with their Jedi tabards over their bodies, light-sabres clipped onto their belt. Pulling their gloves over their hands, the Jedi nodded at one another before separating, rushing towards their destinations.

"What's the plan here, Kenobi?" Kento asked, as they leapt onto the last roof and stopped, staring up at the tower. "If the Emperor is in there, he could sense us, and we could be in a lot of poodoo."

Obi-Wan looked up, before saying. "Let's make it interesting, and make them panic."

"Are you sure we should?" Kento said. "If we make them panic, they could end up destroying the evidence."

Obi-Wan thought about it, and couldn't help but agree. "Unless we knock out their communications in the main control room."

"Ah!" Kento nodded. "Knocking out the communications and mind-trick the individuals in there?"

"Possibly," Obi-Wan said. "Let's just get this done."

Kento nodded, and the pair turned to face the tower, before crouching slightly and then running, increasing their speed as they moved over the roof, the Force aiding their movements. With one bound, they flew high into the air and landed on the roof of the entrance to the tower, before spotting a vent.

Igniting his light-sabre, Kento rammed the azure blade in and cut a perfect square, before pulling it out with the Force, and extinguishing his weapon. Nodding at him, Obi-Wan crouched low, and entered, suddenly feeling _cold_, and hearing the familiar noises that emitted from the beast that had attacked Luke on Naboo.

Somewhere in this facility, the creatures _were_ around, and judging by the mass of Darkness that emitted towards them, there were plenty more that were probably ready to hatch out any minute.


	60. Part IV, Chapter 11

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**Any criticisms will be appreciated :)**

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><p><em>THE NEST<em>

Yoda opened his eyes as the shuttle appeared from hyperspace, and his ears twitched as he heard the voices of the others Jedi and the Rebels conversing nearby, making him hop down from the bed and grunt as he moved towards the gathering that was outside and in the corridor, his gimmer stick clattering as he moved towards them, marvelled at how quick the other Jedi had responded towards the distress despite their numbers and their current state; with the Order in jeopardy, the remaining Jedi rising to the challenge without hesitation and care for themselves.

Yoda smiled, and watched as Bultar, Shaak and Rahm conversed, Bultar sniggering at a joke he said, before they sensed that Yoda was there and turned to face him. In unison, they walked towards him, and bowed slightly, before Shaak spoke.

"We are approaching Ossus, Master."

Yoda nodded, and began to move towards the bridge, the rest of the Jedi following closely as Yoda approached the captain of their vessel.

"Captain Antilles," Yoda requested, and the Alderaanian turned. "Land, you will, where cannot be seen. Continue on, we shall."

"Yes, Master Yoda," Antilles said. "But I have some bad news."

"Bad news?" Bultar repeated.

"We have spotted an Imperial Cruiser just on the other side of the planet," Antilles answered. "But they seem to not be interested on us at all; they are unloading what appears to be a large shuttle down towards the planet, carrying a large metallic crate. We have tried to do a life-form scan on the crate, but have not managed to get a good read on it; our intruments keep developing static."

Yoda swapped a glance with the other Jedi, before saying. "Found one, we have."

"Found what?" Antilles asked.

"I think we have found one of the beasts that had attacked Luke while we were on Naboo," Rahm explained. "The one that everyone saw that we were transporting to the private chambers for experimentation; it feels like the same aura. Dark, dangerous and yet... I sense sadness."

"I sense more," Shaak said, her lekku twitching. "More than one of those beasts."

"Why?" Bultar asked. "I mean, why is there more than one on Ossus?"

"Once a strong-hold for Jedi, Ossus was," Yoda answered, bowing his head and frowning. "Full of much Jedi Knowledge, the old Temples are, and therefore, many secrets that could help defeat the Sith. If destroyed, lost much of our history, we shall, and therefore unable to discover a way to stop Sidious and the others."

"It makes me wonder," Bultar said. "We might find some information on the beasts in the old Jedi library."

"If it's not destroyed," Rahm countered. "But we just have to hope that there are still some structures that hold vital information that could tip the scale of the War, and make the Sith get pushed back even further."

Yoda nodded, before a Rebel walked towards them, and turned to face them.

"We have a transmission coming through from Coruscant," The Rebel said. "It's a hidden frequency, and bears the initials OWK."

"Obi-Wan," Shaak said. "Put it through."

"Yes, General Ti," The Rebel pulled out a comm. link, and activated it to reveal the crouched forms of Obi-Wan and Kento, Kento looking around with wariness and Obi-Wan's focus on them.

"_Master, I am glad you have got my transmission; we have a large problem,"_ Obi-Wan was whispering. "_It seems that the problem with these beasts has extended far beyond what we have originally thought." _

Yoda nodded for Obi-Wan to continue. "Continue, Obi-Wan."

_"It seems that there is more than just the one or two," _Obi-Wan paused and glanced around. _"I think we have found a nest here on Coruscant."_

"A nest?" Rahm repeated in shock.

"_Yes, and it seems that there are more ready to hatch out. We need to take it out, before they leave the tower and get loaded up and shipped towards key systems in the Galaxy; who knows what damage they could do to the Force if they kill more innocent people?" _Obi-Wan said. "_There are Star Destroyers nearby as well, and it seems that- as soon as they are old enough and ready- we might have a large scale problem on our hands concerning killings of civilian lives." _

Yoda's ears fell. "Already too damaged, the Force Balance is, over the succession of the Sith and loss of many Jedi. Cause further complications, these creatures will towards the Balance; need to destroy the nest, you both should."

"Wait, where's Garen and Tsui?" Bultar asked, looking at the two hologrammed Jedi Masters.

"_They've went to hault the production of the Star Destroyers," _Kento answered. _"Hopefully, the production will be stopped for a certain amount of time, and with them stopped, we can gain a foot-hold in the War."_

"Focus on the nest," Yoda ordered, tapping his gimmer stick against the ground. "Destroy the building if you must!"

Both Jedi nodded, and bowed, before disconnecting, and the four Jedi turned towards the view-point of the ship, gazing down at Ossus. In unison, they moved towards the ramp area as the ship slowly descended through the grey clouds; Yoda could not believe that this once proud Jedi world was now tarnished and deserted, save for a few ancient relics of the world and natives. Yoda gazed around at the other Jedi, before, in unison, they leapt out and landed on the dusty ground in crouches, Yoda soon being hoisted up on Rahm's shoulders as the ground moved towards the area where they had seen the Imperial ship enter earlier.

Yoda peered over the top of Rahm's shoulder, his ears perked up as he glanced towards Bultar as she darted up a few rocks and flipped onto a high path over them as they moved through a gorge at impossible speeds, Shaak doing the same and easily keeping up with the younger Jedi, as though nothing would stop the Togruta herself from being more professional. Giving a small smile, Yoda clung on as Rahm did the same, flipping onto a path on the other side, the shadows covering their approach.

The shadows were their ally here in this desperate time.

_Up ahead..._ Yoda heard Shaak speak. _There's a ship! _

Yoda's hand went to his weapon, and took it, ready to leap up off of Rahm and attack once they had caught sign of the Imperials and the ship that was ready to release the Beast onto the plains of Ossus.

As soon as the sound of the ship was heard, and the massive crate was seen being gently lowered to the ground, two Imperials standing at the top of it. Immediately, Rahm took Yoda's hand and the Jedi Grand Master flew into the air and towards the crate, aiding his distance by the use of the Force.

The Imperials saw him, and immediately opened fire, while Bultar did the same and landed on the screen of the gunship, before igniting her light-sabre and thrusting it through the glass, almost striking the trooper that was sitting inside and piloting, her blade tip just missing the front of his helmet. Immediately, the trooper grabbed a pistol and aimed for her, only to cry out as she brought the light-sabre upwards and shattered the glass, sinking it right into his skull.

Yoda had dispatched the two on the crate, and was now climbing up the rope towards the bridge of the gunship as it began to randomly fly towards the ground, Bultar jumping in and stabilizing the controls, pulling it steady and straight in the air, before locking it on auto-pilot. Yoda stopped at the side of the gunship, placing his light-sabre at the rope before Bultar joined him, the gunship now gaining height.

Bultar grabbed a grenade and chucked it into the bridge, before grabbing Yoda and the pair leaping off the side and towards the ground. They saw Rahm and Shaak raise their hands and slow their descend as they landed on the ground, watching as the grenade detonated and the massive crate fell towards the ground, gathering speed as it went.

Leaping back, the Jedi dived behind a massive rock as they heard the crate crash to the ground, before peering over to see the wrecked metal thrown every-where, and the body of the beast on the ground, impaled and dead, eyes blank and slightly closed.

"Kriff," Bultar muttered under her breath, and they approached it hesitantly, in case the beast managed to get back up again; after all, the creature had managed to resist their light-sabres! "Our weapons are useless, yet a large shard of metal was enough to bring it down."

"Don't get your hopes up just yet," Rahm said. "It might just be playing."

Shaak's lekku twitched, and she said. "I don't sense anything but..."

Her eyes stared towards the crate, and she darted towards it, gently pulling the metal aside to reveal...

More of the beasts, but smaller, about the size of a nexu.

"They planned to colonise it," Rahm whispered. "Colonise Ossus. Kriff, there might be more attempts at that as well on other planets! We could have more than just destruction of civilisations, but the death of countless individuals on each planet! Eliminating any resistance to Palpatine."

"Master," Bultar turned to Yoda. "I don't think this is over. By a long shot."

"Right, you are, Bultar," Yoda looked up at her. "Think that there is more to this, than what we originally thought."

Ooo

The cold was starting to get the better of Obi-Wan and Kento as they moved further down the vents and towards the source of the massive surgenece of the Dark Side that they had got as soon as they entered the ventilation system, their breaths slowly rising in mists and condensing on the ceiling of the vents. Their hands twitching towards their light-sabres, they glanced shortly at one another and moved closer towards the source, slowly tensing the closer that they got closer to the noises that were now starting to emit from the obvious end to their journey.

Obi-Wan wrinkled his nose as he got a waft of decay and death towards them, Kento doing exactly the same.

"We are close," Rahm whispered. "It's just getting too cold, and a shadow is forming on my heart."

Obi-Wan bit his lip, and couldn't get the thought of what they were about to discover out of his head. Keeping their footsteps to a silent fall, the Jedi pair moved towards the source, and stopped when the space began to constrict around them, the shaft getting smaller and more cramped. Pushing himself onto his front, Obi-Wan led Rahm at crawling pace towards the destination, voices now sounding through the vent, and inviting them forwards.

Pausing when they reached the grate, Obi-Wan stared in to see a scientist wearing a white coat, looking over something on a data-pad, before gazing at what appeared to be a grey wall. Glancing at Kento, Obi-Wan watched as the scientist pressed a button on the control panel against the wall, and a large clattering sound emitted from somewhere to their left, the scientist now moving towards a door and out.

_Is he gone? _Kento sounded in Obi-Wan's mind.

_I think so, _Obi-Wan answered. _Let's go down. _

Managing to twist himself around, Obi-Wan kicked the grate off its hinges and gently jumped down, landing on the ground in a crouch, Kento following close behind him, and they stared around.

"If there is a nest, we need to destroy it," Obi-Wan said. "Seeing as we had just seen a scientist, we might be able to find data. Place the data-card in the control panel and find those files; I'll see what they were viewing that made them lower the screen down."

Kento nodded, and pulled a small data-chip out of his small bag, and began to plug it into the control panel, before typing in codes to try and over-ride the system, while Obi-Wan went to the control panel, pressing the same button that he had seen the scientist press earlier.

The screen opposite them rose, and Obi-Wan turned around to stare outside, while Kento glanced up.

Their jaws dropped open.

There were massive eggs standing on the other side- at least eight feet tall- and were dark grey in colour. There were at least twenty of them, and older ones were split open, hatched out, and were crumbling- disintegrated- revealing that the first hatchlings had already made an appearance.

Obi-Wan felt dread rise through him, and knew; the one on Naboo was the first one, that came from the eggs that were now old and crumbling.

"Kento, the information?" Obi-Wan said shakily.

Kento blinked and returned to the control panel. "Nearly downloaded."

"Any way to increase the speed?" Obi-Wan asked.

"None," Kento answered. "It... It just has to remain... We need to destroy the nest before more of those things hatch out, or else everyone on every world is going to be killed before we have the chance. And then, we will lose everything we have tried to work for, and the Force Balance would be destroyed."


	61. Part IV, Chapter 12

**Thank you all so much for the reviews so far :) I am so glad of your support.**

**We are nearing the end of the fourth part, and thank you all for your reviews and support; I could not have done this without you!**

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><p><em>INFERNO<em>

Obi-Wan and Kento suited themselves up into orange, full bodied oxygen suits, placing helmets on. The computers had told them that the hatchlings have their growth and their incubation periods stunted a bit by hypoxic conditions, until Palpatine saw fit that they needed them, and pumped the vital oxygen needed into the room to hatch them out once the time was ready. Pulling the helmets on, the two Jedi entered the two-doored stall, closing the first door behind them, and activating the oxygen inside their helmets, before activating the other door and entering the nest area.

Obi-Wan gazed around at Kento and nodded, both opening their packs on their back and taking out a grenade each, placing one on each egg, gradually working their way through them, until Obi-Wan grasped nothing but air in his back-pack, staring down and then towards Kento, realising that he also had run out of grenades to plant on the eggs. Staring at the eggs, Obi-Wan bit his lip inside his helmet, before saying.

"_Would the impact of the detonation also wipe out those that would not have bombs on the shells?"_

"_Possible," _Kento answered. _"But best to destroy them all rather than risk even one making it out." _

Obi-Wan chewed his lip under the helmet, before glancing at the grenades they had already placed on the shells of the eggs. They were already latched on, and unsticking them would result in a detonation if done incorrectly; they just had to hope that the detonation would wipe them out, or that the grenades that Garen and Tsui would plant on the cruisers would also also knock the supports that were connected to to the tower and make it collapse. However, they could not hold their breaths, and if they had to, they would need to bring the whole tower down themselves.

Throwing the bag between two eggs, Obi-Wan gazed back towards the viewing deck where they had come from, alarm bells suddenly sounding, as he saw a scientist open the door. Grabbing Kento and pulling him behind one large egg, they huddled close and waited with baited breaths as Obi-Wan gazed out from behind the egg and towards the viewing deck, watching the scientist check the systems and flick some switches, before lifting a clipboard and marking something down.

A growl sounded from behind Obi-Wan's head, and he jumped, looking around at Kento with a raised eyebrow.

_"Wasn't me!"_ Kento retorted.

Obi-Wan heard a cracking noise, and their eyes suddenly widened.

"_Please tell me that was your stomach, Obi-Wan."_

_"No,"_ Obi-Wan answered. "_I think..." _

Their eyes lifted towards the egg, and they watched as it shook slightly, followed by its neighbours. A crack appeared in the shell, and the pair backed off towards another behind them, gazing with wide eyes as the crack grew larger.

_"C14, A16, WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN THERE?" _

The scientist as the deck had spotted them, and was now speaking to them through their comm. links in their helmets. His gaze was cold, calculating, and when it suddenly dawned on him that the pair inside were _not_ the ones that were suppose to be inside the suits. His mouth hung open, and he grabbed a holo-phone.

"_Kriff!"_

Obi-Wan drew his pistol and fired two rounds at the scientist, both cracking the glass, before another round shattered it and struck the scientist in the chest. It was too late; the alarms were ringing, and the vacuum that was created was pulling at the Jedi, the mixing of the air only causing the hatching of the eggs to accelerate even faster. Their gazes returned to the one egg before them, as one slice of the egg was slowly pushed out to reveal the large snout of one of the beasts, and the claws held like prayer hands before it, scrambling to get the large piece of shell off its muzzle, before opening its jaws to reveal razor sharp teeth.

Grabbing their light-sabres, Obi-Wan and Kento made to ignite them when the egg behind them exploded, and a large reptilian head emerged, the hatchling screaming loudly and snapping, believing them to be food. Running towards the broken window, the pair leapt through, Kento grabbing the gadget from the comm. centre, and both sat against the control panel, hearing the screeching and growls of the hatchlings as more began to hatch out.

Grabbing the detonator from his belt, Obi-Wan flicked the safety latch up and off, revealing the red button he needed to press to activate the grenades. He gazed at Kento, and the pair took one deep breath, before Obi-Wan pressed the activation button.

Screams sounded from the hatchlings as the explosives in the room blasted both them and the eggs, the Jedi rushing towards the door that led out from the room and nest and towards the rest of the tower. Pulling the door open, the pair dived out and into the corridor as the vibrations of the rest of the explosions began to shake the very ground beneath their feet. Shuddering where they lay, Obi-Wan gazed back at the door as he saw one of the beasts- burning- rush towards the door, and kicked it shut in its face.

Ripping his helmet off, Kento took some steady breaths, glad of the oxygen, and said. "Thank the Force for that."

Obi-Wan tore his own helmet off, and took some heavy breaths himself. "It's not over though, Kento. We have to find a way to kill the adults now; those were juveniles, and thus easier to destroy. It is evident that the hide must harden immediately after hatching, and as a result, is why we succeeded."

Kento sighed, and got up. "Let's find a quiet room, and look at the information."

Obi-Wan nodded, and they stood up. "Let's get moving. Before we attract the attention of the squads."

The pair quickly stripped of their oxygen suits, and rushed down the corridor, checking around corners just in case there were cameras or squads approaching from around the corner. Pausing for a moment, Obi-Wan caught his breath quickly, before gazing up at Kento, who also looked slightly tired, and said.

"Can't you send a transmission from here? I don't really want to be chapping doors and walking in on storm-troopers," Obi-Wan asked.

"It's risky, but worth a shot," Kento said.

"I was meaning send it as a file to Yoda and the others," Obi-Wan requested. "Obviously, we should check whether we have the right information or not."

Kento sighed. "It's a risk we need to take, Obi-Wan. Let's just get out of here, and I can send it as we run to the exit."

Obi-Wan decided that it would be best to do so, and the pair began their sprint through the corridors, unaware of the dark shadow that was following them at a long stride.

It was only until too late, did Obi-Wan sense the shroud of darkness, and spun around to see the object of his nightmares, Kento freezing and grabbing his own light-sabre as both Jedi faced the nightmare creature before them.

Darth Vader just stared.

Ooo

Garen shivered as he and Tsui climbed up the scaffolding of one of the cruisers, his hands turning pale and his whole body freezing and cold, but regardless of this, the Human Jedi pushed himself and rolled onto the ramp that placed them at the height of the engines. Shakily, Garen opened the pack of grenades that they had, his hands pale and his breath rising in a mist, while Tsui shook before him, grabbing a couple of grenades, and moving towards the first engine, planting them inside before moving onto the next one. Gazing down the long queue of Star Destroyers, Tsui turned back to Garen, and said.

"We don't have enough for all of them."

Garen chewed his lip, before saying. "I have an idea. Chuck some more into the first engine, and then dump the bag in the one above it."

Tsui nodded, and together, they began placing more grenades inside the first engine, pushing them deeper and deeper towards the reactor, before Garen climbed up and swung himself onto the side, before leaping up in large bounds with the Force and up towards the other engine that Tsui had planted the rest in, grabbing hold of a chain that connected it to the wall and swung himself towards it, throwing the bag containing the rest of the grenades into the funnel, before bracing himself, and dropping back down onto the first engine.

"What's the plan here, Garen?" Tsui asked.

"Just... Let's get down and off the scaffolding and ship, and you get to the vent. Hopefully, Obi-Wan and Kento will have finished with their half of the mission, and we can rondevous back at the building we had separate from," Garen answered. "Come on."

Moving away, Garen took Tsui and leapt off, landing on the ground and carefully lowering the smaller Jedi down, Garen turned and snuck towards the control panels that lined the wall- focusing on the large red button that sounded the emergency alarm throughout the entire complex. That is, if he managed to push the button in time.

Reaching it, Garen slammed his fist against it, and a massive warning blast sounded throughout the ship-yards. Glancing back at Tsui, Garen indicated for him to get to the vents and the small Jedi did so, rushing through the crowds of many species of individuals towards the exits, while Garen rushed back to where Tsui had stood, and faced the first cruiser, where they had planted the grenades. Storm-troopers were already heading down towards him, realising that he was a Rebel, if not a Jedi, and preparing their rifles, aiming them straight for Garen's heart, fingers tightening on the triggers, ready to pelt him with laser.

Raising his right arm, Garen clicked the button for the grenade detonation.

The explosions rocked the ground beneath his feet, and if that wasn't a quake, then it was something bigger. The Star Destroyer that had the grenades installed shook, and began to creak behind the Storm-troopers, who dropped their weapons and began to run to safety- balanciny precariously on it's underside. Pulling his hands back, Garen released the largest Force-push he could muster- draining his body nearly dry- and watched the large mass of Force energy plow into the side of the Star Destroyer, making it crash into the one beside it on the far side, the flaming engines also igniting the exposed reactors of its neighbour. Garen heaved a breath as the Star Destroyers began falling, crumbling and bursting into flames, before his eyes caught something.

A fuel cylinder, right in the middle of the construction, and the fuel of one Destroyer was gently flowing towards it- and it happened to be one of the Star Destroyers that were on fire!

Garen panicked and ran back towards Tsui- who was screaming for him to get into the vent- just as the fire ignited the trail of fuel. Garen heard the loud crackling of the fire as it soared towards the fuel canisters, and then, with an almighty explosion and a large roar of fire, he was thrown by the force of it through the air and landed on the ground, more larger explosions erupting all around him as the Star Destroyers nearby also got caught in the inferno.

He shielded his head as debris flew over his head, before rushing towards the vent and diving in, Tsui slamming it shut behind him.

"Kriff! Kriff, kriff, kriff, kriff!" Garen swore continuously. "How are we gonna get out of this?"

"I am not sure, but if we don't get out of these vents and towards the streets, we are going to get caught in the fire," Tsui answered. "We'll be burnt alive, and then we are going to be in it for sure! Now, let's move!"

Garen could hear the screams and wails of the fuel-based fire, heading straight towards them, and scrambled through the vents with Tsui, the heat starting to close in on them. Seeing the daylight ahead, Garen coughed and choked as the black smoke that filtered through the vents began to clog his and Tsui's lungs, grabbing his cable and aiming it for the grate as Tsui began to slow and crumble behind him.

"It... Doesn't matter... If we die..." Tsui gasped. "We saved... Countless people... By destroying this... Construction yard..."

"Well, I'm... Gonna save... Us too!" Garen choked, and grabbed the small Jedi Master, activating the retraction cable and pulling them towards the vent. Breathing in the clean air, Garen kicked the grate off, and gathered what little strength he had left- making sure Tsui was secured in his arms- and leapt clean out of the vent as the fire-storm began to smother them, landing on the roof of a building nearby. Coughing, the pair of Jedi glanced back at the construction yard- which was completely engulfed by fire- and then collapsed completely, recovering, just as a side of the tower also ignited in explosions.

"They've... Destroyed... The nest..." Tsui panted. "They... Did... It..."

Ooo

"Well, Darth?" Obi-Wan sneered. "Are you going to make a move?"

Vader just continued staring, and the two Jedi stayed as still as possible, the only sounds that emitted from the trio were the sound of their light-sabres, and the grating noise of Vader's respirator. Obi-Wan was just daring for his former pupil to reach for his light-sabre and ignite it too, and when Vader raised a hand, the two Jedi tensed and Kento raised his own, ready to counter the Sith's Force power should he strike.

"Obi-Wan," Vader's voice sounded full of grief, of plea, something that made Obi-Wan almost think he was dreaming; since when was Vader one to beg from his enemies? "Please, I need your help; I made a _terrible_ mistake."

"Now you say," Obi-Wan retorted, taking a threatening step forwards.

"Please, just hear me out," Vader said. "I know. I know about Luke. I know what Palpatine tried to do to him."

Obi-Wan's heart plummeted; Vader had found out. How did he kriffing find out? For a moment, Obi-Wan's stomach tied into a knot, and his hands shook, but he kept his features full of calm and his eyes calculating, desperate to not show an ounce of fear or worry, yet his body shook and his heart betrayed his true feelings, quick and icy in his chest.

"I don't know what you are talking about," He managed in a firm voice.

"You do!" Vader said firmly. "You have my son! I want him back; I can protect him better than you can."

"You can't even protect yourself from the lies of a man that has deceived and betrayed you," Obi-Wan retorted. "You are not getting Luke; I would rather _die."_

"That can be arranged," Vader said. "But not yet. How about this; if I help you, will you let me at least see a memory of him? From you? I just want to know what he looks like, how he acts, what he is like. Please, Obi-Wan."

"Kenobi, don't!" Kento warned. "We have the information. We know what those beasts are, and we now know they are disrupting and killing the Force and Luke! We have to go, _now._"

"Killing Luke?" Vader repeated. "What do you mean?"

"I'm surprised that Palpatine hasn't told you everything," Kento sneered. "Those beasts... They are fracturing a hole- countless- in the Force, and as a result, Luke is suffering because he can sense it happening! I'm surprised you haven't sensed it either, but I guess with the missing limps and lack of midi-chlorians as a result, you are no longer as powerful as you once were, Anakin. If we don't find a way to destroy these beasts, then you _won't_ have a son anymore!"

Vader was silent, letting these words sink in, before he said. "Have you killed the mother Storm Beast?"

"The mother-" Obi-Wan started, but Vader interrupted.

"It's not here," He said hotly. "Don't bother looking for it. We sent the mother beast to a planet in the outer rim; if you kill her and sever the connection, then the others will die. They draw on her to survive; the bond is strong."

"Where is it, Vader?" Obi-Wan demanded. "Where is the mother, and we can save Luke!"

Vader was silent, before saying.

"We had sent a batch of Storm Beasts to Ossus a while ago, to stay there and collinate; the mother is hidden there, in the old Jedi Library. However, you cannot kill her as easily as the others. A certain method is needed."

"What method?" Kento demanded.

"A sacrifice," Vader answered. "A powerful Jedi or someone of Light must perish at her claws, and be consumed. Only then, will she die of the "poison" of the Light Side of the Force; she is a creature of pure evil and darkness."

Both Jedi looked at one another, before turning back to him.

"Thank you," Obi-Wan said. "We appreciate this. I will let you see Luke, when he is ready."

They slowly backed off, but Vader paused them.

"Obi-Wan, next time we meet," He turned away. "I won't let you go so freely; if you fail, and Luke dies, I will hunt you down and kill you. I will make you suffer for everything you have done to me, mark my words."

"I look forward to it, Darth Vader," Obi-Wan retorted, before saying to Kento. "Send the intel to Yoda about the sacrifice; we don't have much time."


	62. Part IV, Chapter 13

**Here we go, another update for you. And I apologize before hand for what happens at the end *sniff* **

**Please, remember to leave that review. It'll be much appreciated.**

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><p><em>BROKEN FORCE<em>

Yoda and the others had never felt so exhausted in their lives, the four Jedi moving towards the old Jedi library that was just over the hills from where they had killed the crate of Beasts earlier. The trek had taken much out of them already, and with the storm clouds starting to gather over their heads and spill the rain that was inside them. The clouds seemed to swell, as though struggling for a while longer to hold the rain back for the travellers- or make it worse for the Jedi, as though punishable towards them.

Yoda sighed, and gazed up at the hills that housed the hidden Library, before pausing, desperate to rest the other Jedi before they faced whatever it was that could be inside, whether it was threatening or not, a Jedi had to be ready for them to face whatever Palpatine may have prepared for them. Gazing at Shaak as she passed her water bottle around for each of them to take a sip out of, Yoda gratefully accepted one sip, and then passed it to Bultar, who quickly took it as well.

"A few hours remain until we reach the entrance," Rahm stated, taking out his small portable binoculars and peering through. "And even then, we have to split up to cover the whole area."

"Wait, why are we exploring the ancient Jedi library?" Bultar asked.

"We need to check whether there is or was any information on those creatures, and if so, we need all of the information to help us counter-act them," Shaak answered. "Hopefully, nothing has been destroyed."

Bultar nodded, before she heard a beeping noise, and said. "Someone's comm."

"Mine," Rahm said, and he began fishing through his pockets, searching for the comm. that he had, desperate to answer it before it stopped and they lost the message or call that was desperate to get through. Finally, he pulled it out, and answered it. "Kota here."

"_Kota? It's Kento,"_ A familiar voice sounded. "_It is vital that you put me on loud speaker so that everyone else can hear me; we have some information concerning the beasts, and all of you need to listen so that you can use this information for when you face them."_

"Go on," Yoda said, and Rahm placed the comm. before them, increasing the volume so that they can all hear what Kento was saying.

"_When Obi-Wan and I discovered the nest on Coruscant, we managed to download some files concerning the creatures. As we placed the detonators on the eggs, we noticed that Palpatine had bred more of these creatures before- there were older eggs present. I have no doubt that these older eggs were the ones that are now spread through, and are older and larger, like the one we spotted and fought on Naboo." _

"How many of the eggs did you destroy?" Shaak asked.

"_We had only around about twenty grenades to spread around for each of us, and even then, we could not plant all of them. It was incredibly difficult to do so,"_ Kento answered. "_So, we had to be sure that we could detonate and destroy the nest with a large explosion, however, we had company as well; a scientist spotted us. We killed him, but alarms sounded."_

"What happened after that?" Bultar asked.

"_They began hatching,"_ Obi-Wan sounded. "_Luckily, we ran out and detonated as we took the disc; we destroyed them." _

"Then, what and how did you get the information?" Rahm asked.

"_We had a bit- ah- help,"_ Kento sounded. "_Someone happened to tell us that these creatures are interconnected with each other, and that there is a mother beast."_

"A _mother_ beast?" Bultar repeated with a gasp.

"_Yes; destroy the mother beast, and you destroy them all," _Obi-Wan answered. "_The mother beast is the key, however, with the information we have, it has been discovered that there has to be a sacrifice given to the beast itself. However, the sacrifice has to be very specific; it has to be someone from the light, otherwise the effect would be null and void."_

"Someone of light," Shaak whispered, then her opaque eyes widened. "But... That means that we need to sacrifice a Jedi! Or someone of valiant heart and mind!"

"_Which also brings us to why they are targeting Luke," _Kento said. "_The information we have reveals that the beasts were exterminate thousands of years ago, and that means that there was a powerful Force sensitive back then that was affected as such and, unfortunately, was used to kill the beasts."_

"_We are NOT sacrificing Luke,"_ Obi-Wan retorted. "_Out of the question."_

"But that doesn't explain why they are affecting him as such," Bultar said. "What does he have that, say, Shaak doesn't have? What powers, what gifts, does he have that could have caused him to channel the Force as such?"

"Very powerful, Luke is," Yoda said. "And therefore, seen as a Bridge to the Force, the Beasts do so, and thus, can destroy him. Obliterating him through the Force, they are."

"_Which means we have little time left,"_ Kento said. "_We are heading back to the main Rebel ship, which reminds me; Garen and Tsui have destroyed the shipping construction yard. Rather spectacularly as well, might I add."_

Obi-Wan snorted in the background, before saying. "_They set the whole building on fire, destroyed the equipment and the materials needed for the ship yards. Garen is rather cheerful about it."_

Bultar giggled, but Rahm then said. "Time and a place. Where has your informant stated that the mother is residing?"

"_Our informant says that the mother is on Ossus,"_ Obi-Wan answered. "_And due to the size of Ossus and the many Jedi buildings, it has to be a place where she can remain inconspicuous should any of us should come calling."_

"Pfft," Bultar muttered. "But where would you hide a massive creature?"

The Jedi fell silent, until Shaak's eyes widened, and she glanced towards the library. "Oh dear."

"The Jedi Library... Kriff," Rahm muttered. "Let's get going, and destroy that beast as soon as possible."

The others nodded, but Yoda turned to Obi-Wan and Kento. "When return to the fleet, you do, check Luke is safe and secure you must; if succeed, we do, then feel the passing, he shall, and may suffer."

The holograms nodded, and then disconnected.

Slowly, the four Jedi got up and began their hike up towards the old, ruined structure just above them on the hill. Keeping their postures calm, and their feelings dulled down, the Jedi slowed their pace as they came towards the large wooden doors that sealed the entrance of the magnificent structure. Jokingly, Rahm made to raise his hand to knock, but realised that the others didn't find the event humorous themselves, and lowered it, muttering about having to lighten up. Carefully, Rahm grasped hold of the door knob, and tried to turn, failed, and asked for Shaak's help.

Together, the Human and Togruta turned the rusted door knob and opened the great door to reveal the ruined and destroyed grand hallway, just as the sun began to break through the grey mass of clouds, illuminating the hallways and chambers that were exposed by cracks in the ceilings and walls. Venturing in further, the Jedi stared around at the columns, Rahm letting the door swing shut behind him as silently as possible, disturbing the dust that had settled on the floor, and making it reveal the tiled floors engraved with the Jedi symbol, each tile a different colour and shade.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen," Shaak whispered as the sunlight began to illuminate more. "To the great Jedi library of Ossus."

The columns were tall and reaching high into the air and towards the ceiling, cracked, but marble visible underneath the dirt and dust that had settled upon it. Stained glass dominated the walls, depicating the Jedi of old, and one at the back revealed the story of the Redemption of Revan- the most famous tale that the Jedi Order had ever had. The shelves were tall and magnificent, housing many ancient books that were inside, some torn and dusted, others still as new as ever, holding all the history of the Jedi Order that had existed for millennia. Staring around, the four Jedi took their light-sabres, ears alert and their postures tense just in case the beast appeared from the shadows.

Yoda perked his ears up, listening for any sign of a breath, a movement of a pebble, or the faintest presence of the Dark Side as a ripple in the Force. His heart thumped in his chest as he stared around the columns for any sign of the Mother beast, eyes darting towards the shadows and back, trying to not grunt too loudly as his aching legs reminded him of his age and condition, regardless of his power in the Force.

Behind him, he heard something slither, and turned to look around, just missing a large clubbed tail as it disappeared into the shadows. Gazing closer towards it, Yoda frowned, before feeling a hot breath on the back of his head, and freezing a bit.

For the first time ever, Grand Master Yoda was slightly terrified of what was behind him, as he felt the moist, hot breath, and the stench of death and decay fill his nostrils, before slowly turning around to stare into the massive mouth of a reptilian creature, similar to the one that they had encountered on Yavin, but different in some cases...

It was _massive._ At least twice the size of the others, and its neck had frills on it, extended outwards in a threat display, as the lips pulled back to reveal massive canines, as long and sharp as knives. The creature was adorned with spikes, and its tail was formed into a club at the end, before it pulled its neck back...

And struck.

Yoda flipped out the way and augmented his speed with the Force, as the Mother Beast snapped and caught bookcases and columns, easily snapping the stone like it was wood, moving towards the small Jedi Master and into the light. Its scales were not green, but a dark grey, its eyes a deathly yellow colour, making it appear only more sinister than before. Now that it was visible, Yoda could see darkness spreading from the creature, emitting its essence in the Dark Side, and as it reared its head back, Yoda was suddenly aware of heat as the Mother Beast exhaled and ignited the gas it had produced into fire, thanks to the light and heat of the sun, the small Jedi diving behind a fallen column and shielding himself.

A snarl sounded, and Yoda peeked around to see Bultar slash at its flank, and then Rahm and Shaak leapt high into the air and sink their weapons into the scales, only for it to rebound and cause the pair to slide down the flank and land almost face-flat on the ground. Once more, like the smaller ones, the Mother Beast's armour was reinforced to withstand light-sabres, and it turned and roared at the fallen pair, while Bultar leapt up, and ran over its flank in an effort to distract it from the other two, making the Mother Beast turn its head, extend the frills and snap at her in a vain attempt to get rid of her, like a person swatting at a fly. Bultar flipped and landed on its head, sinking her blade into the right eye, and causing dark blood to leak out and her to fly back into the shadows.

Yoda emerged from the shadows, light-sabre ignited, and leapt towards the fallen pair, as the Mother Beast expelled its fire towards them, raising his hands and forming a pillar around the three of them, before guiding it towards the Mother Beast with the Force, making the massive creature rear its head and exhale again, before swinging its clubbed tail through the inferno and towards the trio, making Yoda flip and Rahm kick him and Bultar apart, the club striking where they had lay. The Mother Beast fell back onto all fours, and struck towards Shaak, the Togruta raising her hands and stopping the great jaws from snapping shut on her.

"We can't... Defeat her... Without a sacrifice!" Bultar sounded, erupting from the shadows and grabbing Shaak, just as her strength failed and the jaws snapped shut, tearing the stone ground.

Yoda gazed towards them as the Jedi ran to the columns and hid behind them, as the fire was exhaled once again, before the Mother Beast turned its gaze towards him.

He knew then, as he stared into the eye of the creature, who it was that had to be sacrificed. Staring at the others as they peered around, Yoda extinguished his light-sabre, bowed his head, and whispered.

"_There is no death... There is the Force... There is no emotion... There is peace..." _

Then, he raised his head, a glare in his eyes, and snapped his light-sabre back into life, as the Mother Beast ran straight towards him, her roar sounding throughout the whole planet, and leapt high into the air, his light-sabre raised and ready as he landed in the jaws.

They snapped shut, and the light-sabre sank upwards through the top of the mouth and into the Beast's brain.

Then, there was nothing but light, and the Force...

The Force welcomed him, greeting him like an old friend.

Ooo

Luke suddenly screamed loudly in his room, writhing as his whole body- his head, right down to his feet- burned in agony, Sara grasping his hand and almost recoiling when she felt the heat coming from him in such waves that she almost recoiled, almost felt burnt, from the strength that emitted from him.

Then, his screams were gone, and he fell limp. Fear gushing through her body, and causing her unborn infant to squirm, Sara leaned forwards, and whispered. "Luke? Luke, can you hear me?"

She didn't get an answer, and that's when everything starting to crash, and the tears started to build in her eyes. They were too late, they had to be, otherwise he would be speaking, laughing, trying to play as he recovered, to show that they succeeded and won against Palpatine and his creatures of Darkness.

Then, it happened; a sudden glow appeared, spreading from Luke's heart and outwards to his limbs and head, clearing the pale and almost dead-looking skin, the thin hair now thick and blonde once again, the Boy being cleansed of the evil and the Darkness that was trying to destroy him these past few days, and when it was over, Luke remained still, before his eyes quivered open, revealing the blue eyes that were once full of pain, now full of life and confusion.

"Sara?" He whispered.

Sara felt tears fall, and gathered Luke to her, calling for Beru and the others, screaming that he was awake, alive and healthy, yet, she couldn't help but feel a sudden emptiness in her heart, which meant...

A tear fell, and she closed her eyes, burying her face in Luke's blonde hair, and couldn't help but sob.


	63. Part IV, Chapter 14

**Here's he next update for you! This is the second last chapter, and then, we will be moving onto the next part of the fic. Now, I have a poll up for the second Exiled, but I am struggling with the title, so it would really help if you can do the poll so that I can have the second Exiled underway!**

**Please remember to leave that important review!**

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><p><em>EXTINCTION<em>

Bultar was frozen, staring in disbelief at the abomindation that was standing before them, turning to face the Jedi behind her, teeth gritted and ready to strike, her eyes fixed directly on the three Jedi that stood now in a line, their light-sabres ignited and ready, their own eyes staring up at the Mother beast as she bore her teeth, rearing onto her hind legs, ready to attack. She just couldn't believe it; Yoda was gone, dead, consumed by the beast in an attempt to help stop her by that sacrifice, yet she was still standing! How was that possible? Wasn't a sacrifice supposed to destroy her?

Bultar stared around at Rahm and Shaak, the two Jedi Masters also gazing at her too, and she couldn't help but feel a tear fall, and the confusion and unsureness about what to do now; without Yoda, what chance did they now have to take down this beast?

She turned her gaze to the Mother beast as she reared her head back, and roared, signalling that she was ready to charge, and Bultar raised her weapon, determination now on her features as she glared at the Mother beast.

"This is for Yoda. This is for all the innocents you have killed," She said, taking a step forwards, sensing Rahm and Shaak also following her movements, their light-sabres raised and ready to strike as well. "This is for everything you have done!"

She ran at full pelt, light-sabre held behind her, towards the Mother beast, Rahm and Shaak following close behind, before splitting up, each jumping to the rows of columns beside her, leaping and flipping to each one while Bultar kept going, before leaping at full Force blast into the air, bringing her light-sabre in an upwards arch while the Mother beast opened her mouth, the azure blade just missing her snout. She flipped and grabbed the bottom canine, hanging precariously and dangerously, now risking her life as the Mother beast raised a claw to try and swipe her from the base of her mouth.

Kicking out, Bultar swung herself onto the side of the neck, grasping a spine and pulling herself upwards, just as Shaak swung herself around the column and towards the Mother beast, her blade raised high above her head, as the Mother beast turned her attention onto her, opening her mouth wide and exhaling fire towards her, only for Shaak to get thrown to the side as Bultar guided her with the Force, the Togruta's blade slashing the hide of the Mother beast and making it roar.

_Wait... _Bultar gasped as the dark droplets of blood dropped down from the open wound that Shaak had made on the Mother beast, the creature turning and snapping in warning towards Shaak, limping and rearing the massive head back, exhaling fire towards Shaak once again. The Togruta raised her hands and the fire became a column around her, before Rahm seized his chance to bound off the column and towards the Mother beast, as it snapped around at Bultar and narrowly missing her leg.

_Of course! The sacrifice has severed the connection to the Force! It's broken the protection so that it can be slayen!_

Bultar glanced at Rahm and passed a silent command; a command to kill without hesitation. They had the chance now, and they were not going to pass this opportunity to kill it.

Bultar darted upwards towards Rahm as he leapt up the spines towards the head region, and shouted. "Shaak, get up here! Quick!"

"We need to distract it!" Shaak said. "I'll keep it busy!"

Shaak darted towards the shadows as the Mother beast turned its attention towards her, ready to exhale the fire once more, the flames erupting in large bursts, making Shaak dive for cover a few times. Bultar darted towards the back of the skull with Rahm, both trying to keep a grip as they climbed the moving beast, as it began to twist to try and dislodge them from its back. Realising the intent, Shaak darted out in a blur and slashed the knee of the beast, making it roar and swipe at her, catching the Togrutan Master and throwing her against the wall.

Rahm yelped as he missed his grip, and called. "Bultar! Catch!"

He threw his deactivated light-sabre towards her, and she leapt clean off the scales, grabbing the weapon in her free hand and flying upwards to land on the back of the skull. Igniting her weapons, Bultar let the beast throw her upwards in the air, its jaws now opening as it neared Shaak, the flames inside its mouth now ready to engulf the defenceless Togruta as she raised her hands and shielded herself in a vain attempt.

The green and blue blades suck right to the metal hilt, and Bultar felt them strike and snap something inside, making the beast reel back and scream in pain.

Bultar let the gravity take over and fell, the light-sabres dragging right down the spinal column and leaving deep grooves in the skin, her fall quickening and making her in danger of stabbing herself on one of the spines, gritting her teeth and making sure she was going to land safely on the ground. Her eyes closed, and she took a deep breath, as she slid off the end of the vertebrate column and the beginning of the tail, landing on the ground and gasping as the stone struck her warm body, the cold making her shiver violently. Holding the light-sabres in her grip, Bultar raised her head and stared up at the Mother beast as it fell sideways, crashing through the columns and landing on the ground, Shaak getting up and igniting her lightsabre, leaping forwards and sinking her blade into the cranium, making sure that the brain was also struck as well.

Bultar lay there, panting, the lightsabres falling from her grip and extinguishing, unable to get up as her body and mind were now in shock, feeling Rahm's hands as he grabbed her forearms and pulled her up into a sitting position.

The whole Jedi library was beginning to shake, unbalanced because of the columns, and he shouted. "SHAAK! WE HAVE TO GO, NOW!"

The Togruta rushed forwards, grabbing some fallen books and the light-sabres, and rushed towards the exit. Rahm grabbed Bultar and pulled her over his shoulders, rushing after her as the roof began to cave in, large bricks the size of speeders crashing to the ground and splitting, Rahm increasing his pace and leaping once outside as the entrance caved in, blocking the library off from the world.

Rahm gently eased Bultar onto the ground, and raised his head, staring towards Shaak as she sat nearby, rubbing her forehead, a few books on her lap and holding Rahm and Bultar's light-sabres in her other hand. She raised her opaque eyes to Rahm, and said. "It's finished."

"Yes," Rahm said, gazing towards the sky. "It is finished."

He could feel the Force inside himself and the others, slowly rebuilding, slowly healing from what had occurred, and for the first time since the disaster had started, Rahm felt warm. But, it was time to leave; they needed to get back to the fleet, and the Rebels. Even with the Beast dead, they had little time before the Empire came to Ossus; Palpatine would have sensed the Mother beast get killed, and there was no guarantees that he would take the death lightly.

"Contact Achilles," He said to Shaak. "Let's get out of here before we have the full Empire army on our tail."

Ooo

Obi-Wan walked the corridor of the shuttle that he and Kento had managed to steal, the other human male piloting the Imperial shuttle just outside Coruscant's atmosphere, heading towards the coordinates of the Rebel Fleet, after strictly checking that there was no tracking device in the ship. Heading straight towards the medical bunks of the ship, Obi-Wan walked towards Garen- who was covered in bacta pads- and sat at his side, staring at his unconscious friend as he slept in the bunk.

Staring at his hands, Obi-Wan closed his eyes as he sensed something horrific happening inside him, which indicated the death of a powerful Jedi. Raising his hands and placing them over his face, Obi-Wan tried to keep the tears at bay as he realised who it was that had been killed, coldness and a longing to know that Yoda had not been killed as a result from this mission, that he was on his way back to the Rebels and ready to lead them once again.

"Hey, why the long face?" Garen sounded.

Obi-Wan looked up at Garen, still trying to dispel the tears that were in his eyes. "It's Yoda."

"I know. I sensed it before I fell unconscious," Garen whispered. "How are you holding up?"

"I just sensed it," Obi-Wan murmured. "How do you _think_ I feel?"

Garen raised a shaky hand and placed it on his friend's own, squeezing them in comfort. Obi-Wan relaxed, and said. "I'm glad you're here, Garen."

Garen smiled, and said. "You're not getting rid of me that easily, buddy. We are the last of the fearsome four, and the Jedi."

Obi-Wan couldn't help but chuckle. "You just had to use that old gang nickname, didn't you?"

"Why not, it's true," Garen pointed out, and Obi-Wan felt the lurch of hyperspace as Kento initiated the control panel and made the jump for the Rebel base. "And we are able to show Vader who is boss."

Obi-Wan smiled, before hearing his comm. link beep. He reached over and took the device, activating it and saying. "Kenobi here."

"_Obi-Wan! It's Beru!"_ The Tatooine woman sounding through the speaker.

"Beru! What's wrong?" Obi-Wan asked.

"_Luke is awake! He's alright!"_ She sounded excited. "_He's fine!"_

Obi-Wan smiled widely, and said. "That's great! We should be there within an hour or so, and I can check up on him when we arrive."

"_There's something else," _The excitement had not faded from Beru's voice, and she was hopping between both feet, her smile wider than before. "_It's happening!"_

"What's happening?" Obi-Wan asked, his eyes suddenly widenening; he suddenly had a feeling about what it was that Beru was going to tell him.

"_It's Sara!"_ She squealed in excitement. "_Obi-Wan, she's gone into labour! The baby is coming!"_


	64. Part IV, Chapter 15

**Well, here is the last chapter of the fourth part. Thank you so much for your reviews so far, and I hope you continue to read till the end.**

**This chapter is also a thank you to my friends, SashaMonroe and Redeemed spirit of fire; without their reviews, their wonderful words of advice and help, this story would not have been possible. And also a thank you to mokakenobi as well, for their help at the very beginning before the story was published :)**

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><p><em>THE CHOSEN<em>

The medical frigate slowly moved through the depths of space, its massive engines ignited and keeping the ship steady for the injured on board. In one of the corridors of the ship, a group of individuals stood waiting for the news of one of their own, Bail Organa standing with his hands behind his back as he stared out of the viewing window and towards the stars, his expression unreadable and his figure slightly tense as he waited for someone to rush out the room and scream the result to the Heavens.

Turning his head towards the Jedi behind him, Bail gazed at their expressions; they all wore some grief over the lost Master, and the farewell funeral that they had planned for Yoda was all set and ready, and would have went under way if Sara had not went into labour just hours before the funeral was to occur. Turning from his view, Bail paced the corridor, gazing down at the floor as he heard Beru whisper a story to Luke and Leia, the pair intrigued by what she was saying, her expression helping to amplify the effect of her words, her hands sometimes spread out and her fingers being wriggled and causing them to laugh at her action. Smiling at them, Bail paused and sat down next to her, watching as Luke tried to copy her actions while Leia just played with her hair, eyes wide as she stared at Beru.

"You have a way with them," Bail said to Beru, who smiled back at him, before continuning her story.

Bail heard a sigh, and Shaak sat down next to him, her dark eyes staring straight ahead and out the viewing screen, her hands clasped on her lap as she tensed slightly at what was happening near them. Bail turned away from Shaak and Beru, staring down at his hands, which also clasped on his lap tightly, as though he was the one standing in the room and hearing Sara scream with each moment. His heart pounded in his chest as he tried to keep himself calm and steady, especially in case Leia sensed his unease and she, too, became uneasy and worried over him.

On cue, Leia stared at him with her big brown eyes, and got up, trying to clamber up onto Bail's lap, making the Former-Senator lift her up and hold her close to him, the little girl snuggling against his chest, while Luke seeked the same comfort from Beru, but was yawning his head off, trying to keep awake even though Beru urged him to sleep. Caressing Leia's hair, Bail rested his chin on her soft hair and watched as Garen began his pacing as well, head down and a frown on his face.

It was _definitely _a waiting game now.

Bail checked the chrono, registering the time at around five in the evening. She had been in labour for a few hours now, and the chances of it coming to a close was now more likely, with the Jedi around him now being restless and staring around, as though somehow knowing that the baby was coming closer, and nearing the exact moment that it would erupt into existence fully in the Force.

He closed his eyes, and leaned back, aware that Luke was now bored of the stories and pacing around, also restless and glancing at the door that his "uncle" had disappeared into to be with his "aunt". He sat against the wall and leaned against it, staring at his knees as he let his thoughts leave him.

_Master Yoda is gone, because of me. This is my fault. _

Luke placed his face in his knees, and tried his best to not cry, to not show the others that he was upset or pathetic to them, and hugged his legs tightly as possible to his chest.

_Cry, you should not, little one. _

Luke raised his head immediately, staring around for the source of the voice, but when he saw nobody there, no Yoda, he blinked and screwed his face as he concentrated, trying to contact back.

_Master Yoda? _

_Yes, little one. Here, I am, and not gone forever._

Luke blinked, and he asked. _Why did you have to die? I should have died, not you._

_A life to live, you still do. An old creature, I am and my life nearly over. Beginning, yours still is, and a large destiny awaits you. But beware, little one._

Luke blinked. _Beware of what, Master?_

Yoda's sigh sounded in his head, and he said. _Beware of what lies in the shadows, young one. Everything, is not as it seems, and a great betrayal, coming closer to you, it is. _

Luke wasn't sure what to think, what to say or what to do, but his features had went pale, and he kept his eyes down on the ground, refusing to meet the eyes of the other Jedi around him. What betrayal? What is awaiting him in the shadow that is a threat to him? He knew that he had a destiny- Obi-Wan had told him plently of times- but from what Yoda was saying, it was probably greater than what he had originally thought. Now, he was scared; he was scared of what it is that he would face, what trials awaited him in his future.

_I'll be careful, Master. I promise,_ Luke vowed. _I'll train hard._

_Train hard, hmm? Learn much, hmm? Good; but still beware of what lies before you, Luke Skywalker. Be careful, and be aware of your heart._

Luke's eyes widened, as the voice left him, the last word echoing in his mind continuously.

_Master Yoda? MASTER YODA!_

But it was no use; he was gone, and Luke was left alone with the others, sitting against the wall and staring at the floor with wide eyes. He blinked and shook his head, raising his gaze and towards the rest of the Jedi as Bultar suddenly jumped up, her gaze turned to the door. Luke could sense a new life erupt in the Force, and the amazement and awe on his face was echoed by the others around him. When the door finally opened, Obi-Wan appeared wearing a medical gown over his clothes, a wide smile on his face, and said.

"It's a Boy!"

Immediately, he was swarmed by the adults, congratulations being thrown in his direction, Obi-Wan being hugged and his back getting slammed and his hand shaken. Luke stood up and appeared next to Leia, who grinned at him and held his hand, gently swinging the hand Luke was holding with. He smiled, before looking up at Obi-Wan, who scooped him up and led the group towards the birthing room.

Sara was lying on the bed, holding a bundle in her arms and smiling tiredly, pale, at the group as they entered the room behind Obi-Wan, who took Luke towards the bed and stood by her side, grinning down at the baby. Luke peeked over, and gave an awed gasp.

The baby had fair skin, fat cheeks and auburn hair on the top of his head, yet when he opened his eyes, they were a silver colour, reflecting Sara's own, and Luke wondered for a moment if he was looking at the image of Sara's family rather than Obi-Wan's own. He reached over and gently caressed the small hand, the baby staring in awe up at each of them, before yawning and revealing some toothless gums, and snuggling against Sara's chest.

"He's beautiful," Beru whispered. "Oh Obi-Wan, Sara... He's beautiful."

"Have you decided on a name?" Leia squeaked from Bail's arms, squirming to see the infant in Sara's arms. "What's he called?"

Sara smiled up at Obi-Wan, and a look passed between them, before she looked at the other Jedi, and said.

"We are calling him after the great Redeemer. We are calling him... Revan."

Ooo

"Will she be cared for properly? Will you look after her?"

The Emperor paused before turning back to look at the ragged couple behind him, the woman's fiery red hair muddy and the man's emerald eyes dulled and sad over what was happening; they could not afford to keep the baby. They had suffered much at the hands of the Rebels- he was an Imperial officer, and had lost everything because of the Rebel Alliance, and now, all he wished was for his child to have a good start at a life he wished she could have. When the newborn started revealing strangeness, the man knew he had to contact the Emperor's Hands and ask for advice on what to do; where he lived, anything strange was frowned upon and even outcasted, and a life like that for a child of this power would not be beneficial, and a Father always willed for the best for his child.

"I will care for her, and train her myself," Palpatine vowed. "I promise you, my old friend."

The man nodded, and the woman stood, revealing a bundle in her arms. "Thank you, my Lord. Please, take her."

The Emperor walked forwards, and raised his arms, gently taking the bundle and peering inside the depths of the blankets. She was a beautiful baby, with fair skin, and vibrant red hair, but what was the most astonishing feature was her eyes; they were a deep emerald colour, with many lighter shades of green the closer to the pupil there was. She giggled, and raised her hands, and Palpatine placed one gnarled finger inside the folds and let her grasp it, the baby giggling and playing with it eagerly.

"Have you got a name for her?" He requested. "Officer Jade?"

"We have," He answered. "I believe she is called Mara."

The Emperor nodded, and gave a grin as he said. "She shall be trained well, I assure you. From this day onwards, Mara Jade will be a member of my court, trained as my most prized assassin; she is powerful in the Force."

"Thank you, my lord," The Woman said. "We... We actually can't thank you enough; this is a blessing. A life like this is not suitable for her, and we owe you so much."

"You owe me nothing, but one thing," Palpatine retorted, and nodded at the shadows behind the pair. "Kill them."

Mara screamed in his arms, and Palpatine turned her face away as the blasters behind the couple ignited, and the surprised gasps of her parents sounded before they fell to the ground, dead. Soon, Mara began crying in his arms, realising that her parents were dead, and Palpatine bobbed her in his arms, smiling as gently as possible down at her.

"Quiet, little one," He cooed. "I shall look after you, and you will repay me by killing my enemies. You will be my Will, an extension, and never shall you know fear and pain. You will be the greatest of my apprentices I have ever had."

The baby calmed, and Mara whimpered, her hands clenching his robe as Palpatine left the small house and out into the streets, not realising that the baby in his arms would be more than just his apprentice, but one of his greatest assassins he shall ever train.

Mara Jade would never know what had happened this day, and if she did, it would only make her stronger.


	65. Part V, Chapter 1

_Summary: __During a dare initiated by the Jedi Padawans of the Rebel Alliance, Luke Skywalker and Kyle Katarn are kidnapped by pirates and are taken to a world where they are hunted for sport alongside many other unfortunate individuals- including Imperials. While there, they encounter two other Force-sensitives; Shira Brie, and Mara Jade._

_For Luke Skywalker, one will be his arch-enemy and the other... Someone that will befriend the famous Luke Skywalker and become the one he shares his heart with._

_But with the Hunters closing in, the four teenagers are running out of time to contact their Masters and escape the planet, before they too become trophies of the pirates._

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><p><em>BOOK FIVE: THE LOST HOLOCRON<em>

_Fifteen years later..._

_SETTING THE TRAP_

The chamber was dark, and would seem to have been emptied but for the individual that stood in the centre of the room, staring out the window at the darkened City of Coruscant, his yellow eyes fixed on a point in the distance, before sensing his new Hand coming closer towards him. The Emperor marvelled at the Hand he had trained for the past fifteen years; they were now striped of any remorse, any guilt, trained to be a killer and nothing more, to destroy his enemies at all costs.

The Emperor turned to face the door, hearing the boots clicking in the corridor, slowly getting louder as the Hand moved towards the room, and distinctly heard the whisper of a cloak on the ground, and the clanking of weapons as they got closer. He gave a sneering smile, and walked towards his throne, turning and sitting down, leaning back and gazing at the door as it slid open, displaying light onto the floor and framing the Hand that stood there.

"My Lord," Their soft voice sounded. "You sent for me?"

"I have," The Emperor responded, and beckoned them forwards. "Come, child."

The Hand approached, and knelt before him, kissing the ring, before standing up before him once again, her eyes staring down at the Master before her, and said. "The project has been successful; the weapon station is nearly complete."

"Good, my dear," The Emperor said. "Very good."

"Thank you, my Lord," The Hand said. "But please, may I ask; do you have a mission for me?"

"I do," The Emperor stood and the Hand stepped aside, letting him walk past her slowly, as though his age was starting to catch up with him, but she knew that it was all a ruse for the outside world; the Emperor was a being of darkness, and fed on its energy, using that to his advantage. One effect of it was the ability for an elderly individual to move as though they were much younger, fooling their enemies until it was too late that they were a handicapped individual. The Hand paused when he stood at the window, staring out at the city before them.

"I wish for you and another apprentice to embark on an undercover mission," The Emperor whispered, so quiet that the Hand nearly missed it. "I wish for you both to go to Florrum, and get captured by the pirates that are rumoured to be there; we must destroy the operation that is occurring, where they are kidnapping individuals for their dasterly games."

"My Lord?" The Hand said, questioning, but the Emperor continued.

"The last option we need right now is the Rebels finding these pirates, particularly if they have kidnapped our officials after each battle the Rebels have engaged the Empire in," He waved a hand. "A beautiful City planet, Coruscant, isn't it? We should not have the Imperial capital tarnished by these Rogues; if they manage to get a hand in infiltrating the planet, then we are in trouble."

"Yes, My Lord," The Hand answered. "I understand."

The Emperor turned to the Hand, and smiled gently, before saying. "Step into the light, my dear. Let me see you."

The Hand looked confused, but didn't argue, stepping forwards into the light that filtered from the doorway, and lowering her hood. She was an attractive teenage girl, with unruly flame red hair and a fair complexion, dulled by the lack of light that her intense training had caused, with some noticeable freckles adorning her skin. She wore a black leather outfit, sleeveless, and armoured boots that rose to her knees, with a pistol strapped on one side of her belt and a light-sabre hilt on the other, containing a purple class crystal, her hands covered with gloves, but the most daring feature of her was the eyes.

The eyes were emerald in colour, but such a deep colour that Palpatine was mersmerised by them, and the deeper he looked in them, the lighter the green became. They were as green as the forests of Ithor.

"You are an extension of my Will, someone that can accomplish what Vader cannot," He told her. "A powerful assassin that is skilled in destroying anything and anyone I consider to threaten my rule. You, Mara Jade, are my greatest apprentice."

The girl bowed her head, and said. "Yes, Master. Thank you."

The Emperor smiled, before saying. "Go, Mara. Meet with your accomplice on platform five; I heard from Lord Vader that she is also rather impressive."

Mara gave a sneer, and said. "We shall see about that, my Lord."

The Emperor would have throttled her, but then again, she was right; the girl that Vader was training right now was... Impractical, compared to Mara; she did not have the strength, the cunning, the resources that Mara could use to get what she wanted, and to complete her mission. Mara bowed to him, and left, her cloak billowing behind her as she went, the Emperor soon left in his room of darkness.

He turned to face the City of Coruscant, a smirk on his features; what he didn't tell Mara was that the pirates that she and the other was going to be facing were also going to help them accomplish another mission that he didn't tell her, and daren't tell her.

_He is almost a man. I don't have much time left. He will be turning eighteen soon, and then I will be in trouble; I won't know how strong he is until then._

Palpatine walked towards his throne, and drummed his fingers on the arm of his throne, before pressing a button and calling in an Inquisitor, the man tall and intimidating towards those that were not users of the Force. Palpatine raised his gaze, and leaned back, before saying.

"I have a mission for Vader's Hand, and I need you to send it to her," Palpatine clenched the arm of his throne. "And she is the only one that can do so; I cannot trust Mara enough to make her first kill, particularly this one."

"Yes, my Emperor," The Inquisitor's cold voice vibrated throughout the chamber. "I must admit, Vader's Hand has killed many these past few weeks, if you don't mind me saying."

"Indeed," Palpatine said. "I know she will be the best chance we have. Contact her now, and deliver my message that she will have to take care of another Force sensitive that could be joining them very soon."

"Yes, my Lord," The Inquisitor responded, before he bowed and left Palpatine in his room.

Ooo

Mara ignored the looks of the men around her as she strode through the corridors of the Senate, her emerald glare making them shudder and look away from her as she moved. Naturally, her looks attracted them, but then when they realised their mistake- that she was a dangerous individual- they paid the price. Severely.

Mara turned the corner and spotted another girl up ahead, wearing a full white dress with a silver belt that bore the engraving of Alderaan in the centre. She was attractive as well, with brown hair and fair skin and chocolate eyes, but when Mara came closer towards her, the pair just glared at one another with undying hatred, for Mara knew that the girl was someone that protested loudly- too much, in fact- over what the Emperor was doing in the Senate.

"Leia Organa," She drawled. "What a surprise to see you here, after what your Father is doing."

Leia gave a sneer, and retorted. "What my Father does is not my business, Jade, and you would do well to understand and respect that."

Mara gave a mock bow. "I shall, Senator. Don't you worry though; we shall deal with your Father and his Rebel friends soon."

A flash of fear appeared in Leia's eyes, showing Mara had her. Grinning, Mara turned and continued walking down the corridor, a sense of triumph vibrating around her and on her features; she had rattled Leia's cage, and caused a reaction, which ony heightened her suspicions that Leia was working with her Father and the Rebels, something she denied upon. Realising where she was, Mara slowed her pace and raised her head, keeping her attention as she approached the platform, the doors sliding open to reveal an Imperial shuttle with a couple of pilots standing just off the ramp, and a girl pacing before them, impatient. Mara recognised her, and drew her lips back in a sneer, approaching the other red haired with an attempt at authorisation.

Her hair was darker in colour, and she had a fringe cut, covering her forehead, and a sculptured face with high cheek bones and a straight nose. Her skin was slightly tanned, and her eyes were a pale shade. Her clothing was that of black attire, similar to what her Master wore, but no life-support system, and a long metal handle was on her belt.

Yet, Mara knew it was no light-sabre; she could see the tendrils wound up around the hilt, deactivated, and a vibro-knife hidden on the inside of her boot.

"You are late," Her voice sounded, cold, and Mara sneered.

"Better late than never," Mara retorted. "Let's get moving, before your Master throws a hissy fit; literally."

The girl rolled her eyes, and stalked towards the ramp, but Mara shoved her aside and went on first. "Out of my way, Cheese girl."

"Just because my last name is a cheese, doesn't give you the right to call me that name," The girl spat. "And besides. It's not my name anymore."

"Oh? What's the new Sith name you have adopted?" Mara sneered. "Vader wannabe?"

"No," The girl caressed the hilt of her light-whip. "But..."

The girl grinned, and whispered. "You shall know soon enough, Mara Jade, and once this mission is over, you shall wish you never made me an enemy. Mark my words."


	66. Part V, Chapter 2

**Well, here's the next update. Enjoy!**

**Also, today is Star Wars day! So, that leaves me with one thing to say...**

**May the Fourth be with you!**

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><p><em>THE SEIGE OF THE CORE<em>

"We're outnumbered! I can't shake him!"

"_Hold on Wedge! Just a few... More..."_

An explosion sounded as the nearest Star Destroyer was struck by a falling Rebel cruiser, rocking the fighters and making the occupants inside wince at the force, before their attention returned to the pair that was chasing them, the TIE fighters closing in with their continuous firing- so close that Luke felt his fighter hiss when a shot just took the tip of his X-wing's right upper wing. Gritting his teeth and bracing himself as alarms sounded, he flicked some switches and called to Wedge Antilles over the comm. centre on their fighters.

"Listen! We gotta lose them in the cross-fire!"

"_I ain't leading you in there!" _The Corellian protested back. "_General Kenobi..."_

"What Obi-Wan won't know won't hurt him!" Jedi Apprentice and pilot Luke Skywalker answered. "Follow me then! It's our best option!"

He heard Wedge sigh, and then an affirmative, making Luke dive his fighter downwards, Wedge following close behind him, and their enemy, accelerating so quickly that Luke heard the bolts that held his vessel in place creak and rattle, making him plead to the Force for the X-Wing to hold together, and ignoring Artoo's whistle of fright as a blaster shot narrowly missed the glass that formed his pit. Gazing to the right, Luke saw Wedge right next to him, and called. "Spin!"

In unison, the X-Wings began rolling, the lasers missing and sometimes glancing off their vessels, before Luke spotted another pair of TIEs heading upwards towards them. He couldn't help but smirk at their foolishness.

"WEDGE! PULL UP!" He commanded.

Both X-Wings straightened and moved in the other direction, and Luke risked a glance back to see the TIEs collide, and heaved a sigh of relief, trying to calm his pounding heart, gazing straight ahead towards the battle that was still raging around them; they were far from safe just now.

They had entered this fight because the Empire- according to intelligence- was close to discovering their hide-out, and immediately, their cruisers were scrambled and the fighters deployed, the _Negotiator_ leading the onslaught with the rest of the fleet for that part of the Rebel army following without hesitation when their General called them to arms. At the General's orders, Luke boarded his X-Wing and led the fighters of the Red Squadron into the fray, listening to everything that was happening over the comm. and only ready to back off when the General received the order from the Leader to back off and leave the system, when everyone was away and to safety.

Luke tore his mind away from his family- being shepherd and pushed onto a vessel back at the hide-out- and tried to focus on the battle at hand, but couldn't; he missed them. He missed Sara, aunt Beru, and he missed his little cousin, Revan. Luke couldn't help but smirk as he thought of his little cousin; Revan was the duplicate of the General, with vibrant red hair, but had his mother's tendency to resort to verbal abuse now and then, teasing his father about the beard (which Luke had known his whole life) and teasing Luke himself. Sometimes, Luke had heard the General mutter the same manta over and over again to try and keep calm.

_I must not let him win; he's just teasing._

Luke returned his focus to the battle, and realised that the Rebel fleet was starting to back off, and his comm. was flashing violently. Biting back a curse, Luke flicked the switch, and said. "Skywalker here!"

"_Luke!"_ The General's accented voice sounded. "_Return to the Negotiator immediately! Everyone is backing off, and we don't want to lose you and Kyle!"_

"Yes sir!" Luke responded. "I'm on my- What the kriff is that?"

Luke froze as a massive ship erupted before him, and fear rose through his very core. The Imperial cruiser was larger than anything he had ever seen before in his life, and was painted a navy shade, almost making it camouflaged against the darkness of space, the lights all that showed there was life aboard the monstrosity. Luke felt his whole body go icy cold, and his hands clenched the steering of his X-Wing tightly, as though too terrified to move, and for a moment- a brief moment- he sensed the darkest of signatures emitting from inside that monster of a vessel, extending out and making his very body shiver.

"_Luke... We gotta go!"_ Wedge sounded. "_There isn't anything we can do... Now let's go!"_

"We can't! We're near to victory!" Luke protested. "I'm _not_ leaving my friends behind!"

"_You don't have a choice!"_ The General's voice sounded firm and demanding. "_Move! Get back here before that... Thing fires on you and we all get killed! NOW!"_

Luke quaked under the General's tone, and said in a tone of defeat. "Come on Artoo; let's head back."

The droid beeped and Luke felt the X-Wing take over, turning around and fleeing as numerous TIE fighters began to appear, the Rebel cruisers turning and ready to depart into the depths of space; already, there were X-Wings descending into the hangar bays, and Luke felt a rush of worry rise through him.

He had disobeyed an order, and now he was probably going to get it in the neck when he returned to the bridge.

Glancing back at the monstrous ship as it began to open fire on those Rebel cruisers that were crippled, Luke swallowed as he felt the death of each individual on those ships shimmer through the Force, and accelerated, descending his fighter into the flagship. Slouching back into his seat, Luke gazed over to his slot and spotted Wedge exiting his X-Wing, standing waiting for him to depart.

Artoo beeped and landed the X-Wing in the slot, the ladders being fetched over by the aides, just as Luke felt the cruiser jumped into hyperspace. Un-sealing the top, Luke got out and climbed down, heading over to Wedge as he waited for Luke before the pair headed towards the changing rooms to remove their flight suits and change into their normal attire.

Luke opened the door to the changing room, and unlocked his cabinet to find...

"Not again!" He groaned, and Wedge looked over.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Kyle and his gang have stolen my light-sabre!" Luke slammed the door, wincing as it clanged and recoiled. "Why can't they just leave me alone?"

Kyle Katarn, Kenth Hamner, Galen Marek and some other youngsters were the Rebel youths along with Luke, and, unfortunately, didn't treat Luke equally, despite the fact that they were friends when they were younglings. Luke had a friendship with some of the Rebel pilots- which made Katarn and his gang think differently about him; they felt that as Jedi, they were more important and higher class than the others. Luke had Corran Horn as a friend, which he was glad of as the Corellian and him could joke around and duel jokily.

Luke changed, and left the changing room, deciding to go and get his light-sabre back off Katarn, when he sensed the group not far away, Wedge appearing behind him and rushing after Luke as the Jedi apprentice ran to find them, searching for the group of teens that would usually be hanging around in the canteen on the _Negotiator_, before they were transferred towards the main Rebel ship. Slowing his pace, Luke hooked his thumb in his belt and strode towards the open doors of the canteen on the _Negotiator_, staring around for any sign of the large group of Jedi that would be sitting near the back. True to his prediction, Kyle's gang was at the back, and the brunette boy was sniggering, holding a familiar weapon in his hand.

Luke's light-sabre.

Luke felt anger rise, and took some deep breaths, before striding in and towards the gang, his fists clenched as he approached Kyle from behind as he held up the light-sabre, grinning towards his friends, who seemed to not notice that his doom was walking up from behind him.

Reaching over, Luke snatched his light-sabre, and retorted. "Thanks, Kyle, for finding this. I've been looking for this for a while."

Kyle whirled around and stood, standing a few inches taller than Luke, and said. "Finders keepers, blondie. Hand it back over."

"It's my light-sabre," Luke argued, holding the metal hilt tightly in case Kyle snatched it back. "You have _no_ right to it."

Kyle gritted his teeth, and took a step forwards, glaring down at Luke, until Kenth and Kam stood up as well, flanking him. "What are you gonna do about it?"

Luke felt his arms get grabbed and pulled behind his back, and then pushed against the wall, sensing Galen behind him, holding him into a vice grip. Luke felt his braid get seized and his head yanked back slightly, gaping in silent gasps of pain at the sharp sensation where the braid had connected to his skin, trying to struggle against Galen's arms.

"Listen, Skywalker," Galen's harsh voice sounded. "You don't tell us what to do; you hang around with the lower classes, you get treated as such."

Luke pushed his knees out and back into Galen, forcing the dark haired boy to back-off with him, crashing them both into the table. Struggling, Luke felt a fist connect with his stomach, and hunched over, coughing, as Kenth pulled his fist back for another punch, only for his wrist to get grabbed by Wedge.

"Hey, knock it off," The Corellian growled. "Beating up a kid on their own? And you call yourselves Jedi."

"Get your hand off me, pilot," Kenth retorted, and shoved Wedge away, making him crash into a table, and Luke to call out to him in fright.

He began struggling again, kicking out at Galen and making him cry out, before throwing him against Kenth. Kyle and the others began to start forwards, when they suddenly were lifted into the air, their limbs hanging loosely, Luke also hovering alongside them. He stared around and found his eyes focusing on a stern and authorative looking man with greying red hair.

_Oh kriff... _

"Hey, Master," Luke said sheepishly, looking at his Master with a flush.

Obi-Wan Kenobi glared between them, his blue eyes full of fury at the teenagers that were there, hovering before him, his lined features made worse by the frown on his face. Even though he was only in his fifties, Obi-Wan looked as though he had aged much more, but Luke knew that the Jedi Master was not to be under-estimated at all; he was more powerful, more sophisticated and experienced than when Luke knew him at a younger age. Slowly, Obi-Wan let them down, before approaching Wedge and helping him up, and then walked to Luke, who had his arm around his stomach.

"Care to explain what is going on?" Obi-Wan's voice- dulled a bit by age- sounded low and threatening. "Or shall I deduce what had happened from the others?"

"Kyle stole my light-sabre, and I got it back," Luke answered. "They just punched me, and Galen pinned me."

"Not fair," Galen interrupted. "You're his _Master:_ you'll believe him even if it's not the truth!"

"It is the truth!" Luke said, glaring at him. "You attacked me! Wedge can vouch for me!"

"Yeah, a friend," Kyle retorted. "Biased."

"Enough," Obi-Wan said lowly, interrupting Luke before he could make a come-back. "One, we do not steal each others light-sabres or attack others. Two, we don't undermine our comrades; you are on the same class as them, Jedi or not!"

They were silent, bowing their heads, as Obi-Wan continued.

"Don't bully one another, or you will be punished. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Master," They sounded in unison, and Obi-Wan clasped Luke's shoulder, guiding the boy out the mess hall and towards the bridge. Luke daren't speak in case he wanted a scolding; he was already in trouble due to his actions on the fight, and he didn't want to further infuriate his Master than before. As they moved through the corridors, Luke raised his head as they passed many soldiers enroute, trying to look important as his rank showed; a commander. Yet, everyone knew he treated each of them with respect, regardless of their rank.

When they entered the bridge, Obi-Wan led Luke towards the strategy table, revealing a hologram of the galaxy, and the different areas owned by the Empire and Rebels highlighted in different colours; blue for the Rebels, and red for the Empire. Luke placed his head to one side, staring at the map; so far, they had claimed only a fifth of the galaxy, but the Empire's conquest today had caused them to lose some of their territory, pushing them closer to their secret base on Yavin, near the Temples on the forest moon, and if they discovered their secret base, then the Alliance would be in trouble.

Luke watched as Obi-Wan leaned against the map, his eyes scanning them, before saying. "We are heading back to Yavin."

"Master?" Luke questioned.

"We're going to evacuate the Rebels on Yavin; they are drawing too close," Obi-Wan answered.

Luke nodded, before asking the question he had on his mind. "How are Sara and Revan?"

Sara was Obi-Wan's wife, a human that was also a Jedi Master, who stayed behind to look after the Rebels and command them on Yavin, organising the squads of troops towards different systems. Their son- Revan- was a couple of years younger than Luke, and was a feisty, stubborn boy compared to his Father, despite the fact he looked like his Father with his mother's nose, mouth and eyes. Luke was excited about seeing his little "cousin"; they got on really well.

"General Kenobi, Commander Skywalker?" An officer sounded, and Luke raised his head, looking at the officer.

"Yes?" Obi-Wan asked, looking at him.

"General, we are approaching Yavin," He answered. "In approximately one hour."

Obi-Wan nodded, and said. "Good. Alert the Generals."

The officer nodded, and turned, walking towards the control panel. Luke gazed up at his Master, before saying.

"I'm sorry, for my actions on the battle; it was irresponsible and unlike me," Luke hung his head. "I just thought... I thought we were going to win it."

"So did I, Luke," Obi-Wan comforted. "No-one expected Vader to arrive with his armada; however, even then, it was a battle that had caused heavy losses."

Luke nodded, still staring at his feet. "I could have done more."

"Luke," Obi-Wan placed a hand on his shoulder. "Even Jedi struggle to accept these losses in battle; we must move in. It is our nature."

Luke nodded again, before raising his head. "Yes, Master."

Obi-Wan couldn't help but smile; despite the similarities that Luke bore towards his birth Father, the boy was different in attitude. He still wanted to save everyone he could, but he was starting to accept the loses, something that Anakin could not, and he was maturing much quicker than his blood Father, refining his light-sabre skills and Force-powers.

It seemed that he would be right all along about Luke; maybe, just maybe, he was the one that could help restore the Jedi Order and return the balance to the Force.


	67. Part V, Chapter 3

**So, we have another update here! Now, we get to meet the son of Obi-Wan and Sara- and let's just say he's not what he appears to be! He's not like his Father, but not like his Mother either! I'm not saying anymore; just read!**

**And remember the review! :)**

* * *

><p><em>REVAN<em>

The teenage boy sneaked through the bushes and trees, heading towards his target, ignoring his curly red hair as it almost got tangled in the bushes. Shaking his head so that the branches and leaves got out of his hair, the boy snuck towards the individual that was kneeling beside the waterfall, their head bowed and hands resting on her thighs. Sneaking a small grin, the boy went on all fours and crawled through the bushes towards the last one, peeking over to just double check, before his grin built into a larger one, and he sneaked past the bush and towards the kneeling individual, taking a deep breath, ready to give a massive roar in imitation of the nexu...

"Hello, Revan," The woman said, without turning around.

Frozen, his mouth wide open still and ready, Revan coughed and spluttered eventually, staring at his mother as she stood and turned to face him, a stern look on her face. Sara had a few greys in her hair and some lines on her face, but still looked pretty regardless; it seemed that, like his Father, age did not affect her youthful look at all. She placed her hands on her hips and stared down at her son.

"It's not nice sneaking up on your mother," She scolded. "You know that."

"Oh, come on," Revan whined. "How did you know it was me?"

"I'm your mother. I'm _supposed_ to know," Sara rolled her eyes, and ruffled his already messed up hair. "Now, look at you."

Sara reached up and began harshly rubbing off some of the mud on Revan's features, making the boy groan and try to pull away from her, protesting that he was not a child anymore and he didn't need that much attention anymore. Sara sighed and released him, watching as her only child rubbed the mud off himself, making the red skin already tended to him by Sara even worse. Sara rolled her eyes, and placed a hand on her son's shoulder, leading him back towards the temples that held the main base of the Rebel Alliance.

"Your Father will be returning soon," Sara said, smiling down at him as they moved through the forest and back towards the temples. "And Luke as well."

Revan smiled brightly, staring up at her with a dazzling smile. "Yes! Do you think they killed a lot of troopers?"

Sara rolled her eyes at her son's antics; Revan was completely different to Obi-Wan and her. He was reckless, impulsive, and always jumped into fights when he wished to, even pranking now and then, causing much disruption in the base. Sara just couldn't believe that the boy she had carried was now grown up, and nearly a man; soon, he would be joining his Father and Luke, fighting against the Empire, while she was left worrying about the trio, looking and protecting the base and other Rebels with her life. Sara hated being left behind by Obi-Wan, but he had to do his duty before they could fully become a family, even though the War was now stretching for too long, with no end in sight. Every day, every minute, there were new battles, new skirmishes between the Empire and the growing Rebel fleet, both reaching a near stalemate without a way to resolve it; once the stalemate had been reached, all it needed was a mistake from one side to tip the scales to the favour of the other.

"Hey, mum?" Revan sounded in her head. "You okay?"

Sara blinked and looked down at him, and smiled. "I am fine. Just away with my thoughts right now."

Revan grinned, and said. "Just don't worry; Dad and Luke will be home soon! You said so yourself!"

He then paused, and said. "Don't tell Dad I missed him, please?"

Sara chuckled, and ruffled his hair. "If you only respected your Father a bit more, then maybe things would be more positive between you two, hm?"

Revan shrugged. "I like joking, he likes being serious. Can't help that."

Sara rolled her eyes, and heaved a sigh of relief when she saw the ancient temples before them, increasing her pace when she heard the sound of fighters and large transport craft. Raising their eyes, Revan gave a gasp of awe as he saw the massive Rebel cruisers in the distance of the sky, hovering, and then looked at the transports, searching for any sign of his Father and Luke. Chewing his lip, Revan quickened his pace, Sara following, turning his head in all directions to see if he could spot the familiar blonde hair and the greying red hair of the pair, before seeing Wedge land his X-Wing nearby.

Rushing towards the pilot, Revan grinned and skidded to a stop before Wedge, who grinned back and clasped his shoulder. "Alright, squirt?"

"Hey! I'm not a kid anymore," Revan protested. "I'm fifteen."

Wedge ruffled his hair, and said. "Your Dad and Luke landed before us. They should be over there somewhere."

He waved his hand towards the ground of people that were moving away from a transport, and Revan bade a quick thanks and goodbye, before rushing off, calling his mother as he went. He kept running towards the transport, and pushed through the crowd, staring around for any sign of them, and smiled when he saw his Father and Luke disembark, Luke smiling and Obi-Wan having an emotionless expression, but when he saw his son, his eyes lit up and a smile crept onto his face.

"DAD! LUKE!" Revan called, and rushed straight towards them, eager, despite his age. "You're back!"

"Hello, son," Obi-Wan greeted, clasping his shoulder. "Goodness, you've grown!"

"Yeah, I've hit my growth spurt," Revan smiled widely, before looking at Luke. "Hey, brother."

Luke grinned, and clasped his shoulder too. "Hey, sprog. What's been going on?"

"No much," Revan said, following them closely as Obi-Wan led them off. "Just been moping around most of the time. The usual."

"Been training?" Obi-Wan sounded, and Revan looked at his Father.

"As best as possible, Father," Revan said, using the familial title rather than the other; he only called him Master and General when they were in the presence of the troops, but with Luke, he could call him Father regardless. "Things have been quiet recently."

Obi-Wan sighed. "I expected as much, son. Now, let's go find your mother; I am looking forwards to seeing her after so long."

Luke and Revan gagged in unison behind him, but Obi-Wan ignored them, now seeing Sara waiting for them at the Temple entrance. He beamed, and quickened his pace towards her, both opening their arms and embracing tightly, Sara planting a quick kiss on Obi-Wan's cheek, and rubbing his back gently, a tear escaping her eye and falling into the rough cloth of his shoulder tabard. Revan rolled his eyes, and looked at Luke.

"Meet any nice girls?"

"You know fine well that it was a _space_ battle, not a getaway," Luke answered. "And besides, I don't have much time to meet girls right now."

Revan grinned. "Bar meeting the princess, eh?"

Luke rolled his eyes. "Come on. The princess? She's not been here for months."

"Nuh uh," Revan said, placing his hands on his hips and grinning. "Leia came back this morning."

Luke perked up, and then glared at Revan when he sniggered. "You're just being mean."

"Come on," Revan said, his parents coming towards them now. "Luke and Leia, sitting in a tree..."

"Revan, stop right there," Obi-Wan ordered, glaring at his son. "Don't toy with Luke's emotions, please."

"Why? He does that with me," Revan protested.

"There's a reason why," Sara scolded. "Now, stop perstering Luke; they're both tired and need to rest."

Luke just blinked, slightly confused about the conversation, and glanced at Obi-Wan. "Master, what's going on?"

"Nothing, Luke," Obi-Wan said, clasping his shoulder. "Come on; let's get home and refreshed, shall we?"

Luke nodded, but frowned as they moved, wondering why Obi-Wan and Sara had reacted as such towards his and Revan's conversation about Leia.

Ooo

Her breathing was heavy, as she ran through the canyon, glancing back every now and then to check that she was being tailed, wishing and scolding herself for being so stupid to have lost her weaponry when they had been ambushed by the pirates; now Brie was captured and being held in a cell, and she was running for her life. Mara heard the swoop bikes behind her approaching at a quicker pace, and darted towards the cliff edge, leaping up and kicking herself off, grabbing the other end and holding on, staring down at the gang that approached, before she swung herself behind a large rock and hid herself, watching as they passed right beneath her.

The gang stopped, and the obvious leader- a large, fat Bothan- glanced around, before growling. "Where is she?"

"I don't know," A Transdoshian answered. "I lost the scent."

The Bothan growled, and glanced around at the others with them, and barked. "Split up. Find her; we need her for our little games and with her friend captured, we might be able to rat her out."

The Weequay with the group nodded, and pulled his goggles back over his beady eyes and led a small group forwards, the rest staying behind. Mara wondered if she could take them, kill them, as that was what she was trained for; to kill if she must.

Keeping hold of the rocks, Mara kicked herself off, flipping and landing on the back of the Transdoshian's bike, grabbing the lizard and applying a bit of Force strength, she grabbed his neck and threw him off, grabbing the handles and revving the engine, hearing the Transdoshian give its alarm call, and saw the others turn to face her, some grabbing pistols and aiming straight for her. Mara turned the bike around and accelerated away, increasing her speed as she flew through the canyon, gazing back slightly at the gang as they chased, blaster shots missing her by inches and striking the cliff-side, causing rocks to rain down on her, cutting her skin and making her wince and shield her head slightly by using her arms, keeping it bowed under the top. Pushing the bike, Mara clicked the pedals backwards and was taken straight into the air, flying through the air and up out of the canyon, glancing back for a second to check that the gang was not following her, heaving a sigh of relief when she realised that they weren't.

She slowed the bike down slightly, before turning it around to go back and get Shira- to rescue her from the pirates before they loaded her into their ship and took her to the planet, and begin their hunt of her alongside the others. Mara increased the speed, heading back towards their ship, gritting her teeth and praying that they were still there so that she could easily kill them and break Shira out.

Then, she was screaming, feeling a web of electricity flow through her body, making her fall against the ground, screaming loudly, before her eyes rolled back and she fell unconscious where she lay. The sound of crunching sand came, and the Bothan approached, holding a specialised gun with two hands, the end smoking slightly, a smirk on his face.

"Well, well," He sneered, grabbing her wrist and dragging her through the gravel towards their ship. "Judging by your clothing... You must be an agent of the Emperor. Along with your friend no doubt; such sport."

The Bothan moved towards the large vessel, grinning when he saw the others already waiting with their own prisoners, and barked an order. "Let's move! Get them loaded; we have some good sport with this group!"

The cheers of the group sounded for miles, and they entered the ship, gently taking it into the air. The guns slowly turned towards the ship that Mara and Shira had used to arrive at Florrum, and ignited, blasting the craft into pieces, and erasing the Emperor's tracking device.

To the Empire, Mara Jade and Shira Brie had been killed, but the pair had completed one part of their mission and for Shira...

She was a step closer to achieving her mission that the Emperor had set her.


	68. Part V, Chapter 4

_MEMORIES OF PADME  
><em>

Luke over-heard from Obi-Wan as he talked to Bail and Mon about moving the Rebellion away from Yavin, now that the Empire was getting closer to their base, standing a few feet away from the trio. He sighed, and bowed his head as he heard the conformation from Bail and Mon, before turning and walking down the corridor, desperate for some fresh air, heading up the steps and towards the top of the Temple, his mind now set on the opportunity to relax and have time to himself. Hiking up the last few steps, Luke emerged through the stone archway and onto the flat roof, walking towards his favourite spot, where a small inbuilt river was present, flowing through a hole in the stone and onto a bridge, before trickling downwards over the stone and down onto the grass.

Leaning back on his hands, Luke stared at the darkening sky, conscious of a small bird that fluttered near him, landing on his shoulder. Gazing at it, Luke grinned, and raised his hand, letting it flutter onto it and remain there, twittering and chattering away in a language to the young man. Cupping it in his hands, Luke raised them and eased the bird away with the Force, before crossing his legs before him, the river beside him on his right, Luke sunk into the Force and let it fill him; he was always a practitioner of the Living Force, focusing on the here and now, never, as much as Obi-Wan scowled him about, looking at the whole picture. Living in the moment was important to him, letting his instincts take over everything in his life, including in battle.

Heaving a sigh, Luke whispered. "Peace... Inner peace..."

The Force swelled inside him, rising in magnitude until he felt his body could not handle the rise in power, forcing him to diminish it down, yet it had allowed him to focus on everything around him that was alive, that was moving and had a heart beat.

He could feel the beat of a bird's wings as it moved past him, feel the heart beat inside its small chest slow down as he made it so. Luke allowed his hearing to magnify, hearing the smallest of sounds increase through him as the the Force flowed through him, raising his hand and letting it just brush the surface of the water, the ripples appearing even though the water disappeared a few seconds later. He opened his eyes, yet felt as though the Force was the one that did so, and everything that was him was still locked in meditation...

"Hey, Luke!"

He lost his concentration, and Luke panicked for a moment as he realised a split second later that he was actually levitating, landing hard against the stone and hearing his shoulder crack. Immediately, he heard hurried footsteps, and felt a soft hand on his arm, gazing up to see a beautiful brunette haired girl standing above him, her soft chocolate eyes full of worry and concern.

"Are you alright?" Leia asked.

"Yeah, just got surprised," Luke said, sitting up fully and looking up at her. "How are you, Leia?"

"I'm good," Leia sat down next to him, staring out towards the horizon. "Just got back from Coruscant; my Dad debriefed me over what the Empire is doing just now, and according to my sources, the Emperor is planning some big military project."

"Great," Luke grunted, resting his arm against his knee, staring at the horizon too. "Just what we need just now, an Imperial super-weapon. Especially if we can't handle it."

"Yes, and with us in a stalemate," Leia agreed. "The War could be won easily with this super-weapon if it becomes operational. I only hope it is something we _can_ fight."

Luke glanced at her, and suddenly realised how tired she looked; there was paleness to her features, and dark shadows under her eyes, as thought she had not been sleeping well recently, making Luke wonder if she was maybe working too hard for someone that was seventeen- like he was. That made him frown; despite them having different features, Luke had noticed some similarities between him and Leia. They both share the same birthday, their face shape was similar, their noses, mouth and eye shape. The only differences was their hair colour, eye colour, skin tones, and Luke having a clefted chin, similar to his Father, whom Obi-Wan had shown him pictures of.

Shaking the thought off, Luke asked. "Are you alright? Have you been sleeping well?"

Leia shook her head. "I've been having nightmares recently."

Luke turned to face her, interested, and asked. "What of?"

A mistake; Leia turned to him and snapped. "It's none of your business, Skywalker! I do not want to discuss it with you."

Luke recoiled slightly, but kept that famed Jedi calm he had become famous for; all those Kata trainings he had done had paid off, and apart from a few control issues, he was calm and capable to keep his head where the other teens could not.

He sighed, and turned away, looking back over the forest, before saying. "I'll leave you be then, princess."

Luke stood up, ready to depart, when Leia stood up and placed a hand on his arm. "I'm sorry for snapping at you. It's just... It's close to my heart."

She bowed her head. "I sometimes see my birth mum in my sleep."

Luke turned to face her, a bit confused about her revelation; he knew Leia was adopted by Bail and Breha, and like him, she did not know who her mother is, even though Luke knew his Father's name. Reaching out, Luke placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it gently.

"What was she like?" He asked quietly.

Leia raised her head, and said. "She was very beautiful, yet sad. I don't know why, but I wish I did."

Luke lowered his gaze, staring at the ground. "I don't know who my mother is; I have no memory of her and I sometimes wish I do."

Leia sighed sadly, before saying. "Have you asked Obi-Wan? Or Beru?"

Luke looked away, before saying. "It pains them, sometimes, and they usually don't answer if I _do_ ask; Obi-Wan always told me stories of my Father, even though it pained him, but never told me about my mother. He says that she was a close friend of his, and he cared so much about her as a result; he lost his Master, murdered before him, and my Mother was there for him when he needed her."

Leia looked at him sadly. "That has to be sad, hearing so much goodness about her, yet bearing no memory _of_ her."

Luke nodded, before hearing his comm. beep on his belt. Lifting it up, Luke answered and said. "Skywalker here."

"_Hey, Luke, sorry to interrupt,"_ Sara sounded. "_But dinner is ready, and Beru has arrived from Echo base." _

Luke brightened up; he had not seen his aunt Beru in a while, and shared a tight bond with her, despite her wish to keep him away from danger and in safety. Sometimes, Luke wondered why his Master, his Family and others cared so much about his well-being; despite the fact he was nearly a Man in a few months time. Eighteen was a big number in the Jedi Order, and in the Galaxy; it was a coming-of-age, and along with twenty-one, it was step towards adulthood.

"I have to go," Luke said, apologetically to Leia. "I'm sorry; I'll talk to you later, Princess?"

"Of course," Leia said, smiling. "I'll see you later."

Luke smiled, and bade a quick farewell before swiftly walking back inside, heading down the stairs and through the stone corridor towards the Kenobi apartment, keeping himself calm and steady. Pausing outside the entrance into the Kenobi apartment, Luke opened the door and entered, quickly jumping to the side when Revan attempted to sneak attack him into a tussle. Chuckling, Luke ruffled his hair, before heading towards his Master, Sara and Beru sitting on the couch, chatting away.

Beru paused and looked towards him, her eyes widening slightly. "Luke? Is that you? My goodness, you have grown!"

Luke smiled and walked towards her, hugging her. "It's good to see you again, auntie."

Beru smiled gently at the hug, before breaking it and cupping his cheeks, looking at him closely; Luke sometimes hated how she can look into his eyes, and into his soul, and somehow see everything that he had been through, and how it affected him. Finally, she lowered her hands, and said.

"You've grown so much, in such a short space of time."

Luke chuckled. "Yeah, but I'm still short for my age."

"Yeah," Revan teased, flicking Luke's ear, and making him wince. "I'm gonna be taller than you, Skyboy."

"Stop calling me that!" Luke protested.

"Boys, boys!" Sara interrupted, before Revan could make a come back. "That's enough; Revan, go and wash up."

"I'm fifteen!" The boy protested.

"And you have mud on your face," Obi-Wan said, raising his hand. "All over..."

He made to point, but indicated the whole of Revan's face, and smirked. "There."

Revan wiped his hand over his face, seeing the traces of mud on his fingers when he removed them, and scowled. "Fine. I'll wash up, but it's not _my_ fault that the Red squadron wants to have a tussle with me once in a while."

"Just... Go wash up," Obi-Wan said. "And Luke, go and have a rest; the battle was difficult, and you look ready to drop."

"Ha!" Revan pointed at Luke. "You have to have a nap! Youngling!"

"Oi!" Luke protested, glaring at Revan. "Don't call me that! Crechling!"

"Hey!" Revan cried, and made to take a step forwards when Obi-Wan managed to reach over and grab his arm. Revan glared at his Father, saw the look on his face and calmed, going out the room, muttering things under his breath. The adults turned to one another, returning to their conversation from before like nothing had happened.

Luke couldn't help but smile; even with the war, everything seemed to be perfect, as though in some cases, the War never affected the Family that was sitting before him. Heading to his room, Luke deposited his light-sabre on the shelf above his bed, and kicked his boots off, before lying down on the bed, ready for a quick nap before dinner, staring at his ceiling for a moment.

The conversation with Leia really bothered him; he knew so little about his parents, and what he did know was that Anakin Skywalker was a Jedi Knight that had been murdered by Darth Vader during the Great Jedi Purge, seventeen years ago, around the same time that Luke had been born. He had read stories about the old Jedi Order, and how they had fallen during the Clone Wars, the first and largest victims of Palpatine's new regime, the Sith striking them swiftly with the very troops that the Jedi trusted their lives with- literally. Luke couldn't help but think about what had happened to his Father that dreadful day; was he defending the younglings from Vader? Was he trying to get Jedi out to safety when the Sith had attacked him, and the weapon that Luke now had was all that remained of his Father.

Closing his eyes, Luke gradually allowed sleep to flutter over him, slowly sinking into the tendrils that beckoned him, relaxing onto his covers, curled on one side.

_"When was the last time you had seen him?" A red haired man spoked to the woman. She was beautiful, brown haired and eyed, with her hair tied into a messy braid, and her clothing consisting of a dark dress, long and flowing, with some silver embroidery on the surface. The man wore brown robes over beige, layered clothing, and for a moment, Luke had to double take to make sure he was not seeing things._

_It was Obi-Wan, younger and looking less stressed than the present one today._

_"Yesterday," She answered._

_"And, did he say where he was going?" Obi-Wan asked, following her as she moved towards the couch._

_There was a slight hesitation, and the woman said. "No."_

_Luke could tell there was a lie on her voice; that she knew where the individual was that Obi-Wan was so keen in searching for._

_"Padme," Obi-Wan started, and hesitated for a moment, before continuing. "I must find him; he is in great danger."_

_"From the Sith?" Padme whirled around, looking at Obi-Wan in worry, and fear._

_Obi-Wan hesitated again, before answering. "From himself."_

_Luke blinked, unsure what to make of this, that he missed the next few words, so shocked at the woman's outburst through what Obi-Wan was saying._

_"No, he wouldn't! How could you even SAY that!" Padme cried, stepping away._

_Luke clasped his head, and stared at anything he could focus upon; he could tell he was on some City planet, and the structures of the Senate and the Jedi Temple were visible in the distance, recognisable from his endless viewing of the holos that Obi-Wan let him watch._

_"Anakin is the Father, isn't he?"_

_Luke turned to them instantly, eyes wide as he saw Padme stare down towards her pregnant stomach, while Obi-Wan stood at the balcony, sadness on his features. Why was his Master sad? Why was he not happy?_

_"I am so, so sorry."_

_Those were the last words Obi-Wan spoke to the woman, and he turned and walked off towards where a fighter was visible, his robes billowing behind him like some majestic god, great and powerful. Luke turned his gaze towards the woman, who was now sobbing into her hands, wishing that she could see him, that he could comfort her in some form. Walking towards her, Luke sat down beside her, and stared at the woman, who was now holding some sort of carving in her hands._

_"Oh, Anakin..." She whispered sadness in her voice. "Ani... Why..."_

_Anakin? Was this... Luke couldn't believe it; this was his mother, it had to be!_

_He felt himself getting shaken, but groaned and tried to stay with his mother, staring at her beautiful features, although sad, as she stared down at the baby bump she had, hands clasping the wooden carving that Luke now identified as a japot signet, a trinket of Tatooine._

_"Mum..." He whispered to her. "Don't be sad... I'm here; I'm your little Boy..."_

_Someone was trying to wake him up, and he shook his head, trying to rip away from the grip of that person, staring at his mother..._

_A cold laugh, vibrating in the air and causing chills on the back of his neck, the small hairs standing on end as he saw a pair of yellow eyes appear before him, a scar on the right eye, and the flash of a whip, or a tendril, as bright as the sun..._

Luke jumped awake, lying on his bed, and staring up at Beru who was standing at the side of his bed, her hand on his shoulder, looking worried as Luke raised a hand and wiped some sweat off his face.

"Lukie?" She asked, watching as he sat up straight on his bed. "Are you alright?"

"I'm..." Was he alright? He felt shaken from the last part of the dream; who was that person, wielding the whip? Was that an enemy of his in the future? Whoever it was, the Force told him that they would cause great harm and pain to him should they meet, whether it was the first meeting or the last they would share.

"Luke?" Beru asked again, very concerned now.

"I'm okay, aunt Beru," Luke said finally. "I need to calm down; bad dreams."

Beru nodded, and after a brief pause, said, "Sara says dinner is ready. Revan wanted to wake you, but knowing him, he'll throw a bucket of water over you and that would generally make you a bit annoyed."

Luke chuckled, before sitting up. "Thanks, aunt Beru. I appreciate it."


	69. Part V, Chapter 5

_LUMIYA RISES  
><em>

Mara slowly forced herself to awaken, giving a small groan before blinking her eyes as they open, removing the dryness that had settled on them, slowly pushing herself up onto her side with her hands, and then onto her backside, rubbing her eyes free of grit or anything that now made them sore. Staring around, Mara suddenly realised that she was stuck inside a cage, heavily built and reinforced, yet she kept herself calm and collected, centering the Dark Side that whispered inside her to her core, not ready to attack with the feroscious methods that made her deadly to all that met her, and instead sat against the bars, looking around her and collecting a decent view of what was around her.

There were other cages around her, some empty- including one that was before her- and those that weren't contained different species of sentinet beings, and some that were humans. Glancing to her right, Mara spotted a pig like creature that she usually saw on the slave worlds that were ruled by the Hutts, and just across from them was what appeared to be a Zygerrian, their slitted eyes staring at her, a hiss escaping her throat as she imitated the cats that Mara had seen straying through the streets, before turning away and curling in a corner. Rolling her eyes, Mara glanced to her left to see Shira right next to her, in the cage beside her own, sitting cross-legged and her eyes closed, looking perfectly calm compared to Mara.

Glancing at her feet, Mara took a pebble, and threw it through the bars, striking Shira in the side of the head, and making her turn to look at Mara. "What?"

"Tell me what's going on, Brie," Mara demanded. "Or I'll throw another pebble."

"These are obviously the pirates that the Emperor wanted us to take out," Shira retorted, closing her eyes again. "Aren't you suppose to know that, Jade?"

Mara refrained from rolling her eyes, and turned to the pig that was next to her. "Hey, what are these pirates? Where are we going?"

It gave some grunts and squeaks, which Mara did not understand, until the Zygerrian opposite it came forth, and hissed. "These are pirates, specialised Hunters that kill for sport, and as to where we are going, I don't know. None of us do; they don't exactly _tell_ us you know."

Mara almost lost her patience just then, but remembered what Sidious had told her, and took a calming breath; there was a time and place to be an assassin, and right now, she should just interrogate these lower-life forms and figure out how to make an escape back to Coruscant once they were released. However, with no indication as to where they were heading, the escape could be short-lived, and futile, but Mara Jade was not one to give up unless she must; that was what made her deadly, and that was how she always got her target.

She would succeed, or die trying, that was her moto.

Mara gazed around to Shira, and watched as she continued her meditation, no doubt learning the art of patience from Vader towards situations like this, rather than planning and acting on instinct like Sidious had taught Mara. In some ways, that made them incredibly deadly as a team, as both the patient one and the instinctive individual could both cause damage towards their enemy, aiding one another should they struggle. Her eyes descended, and then widened when she spotted something on Shira's right hand.

"Brie... What happened to your hand?" She demanded, reaching through the bars of their cages and grabbing Shira's hand, lifting it slightly.

Shira pulled her hand away, glaring and retorted. "Don't. Or you'll tear the skin, Jade."

Mara frowned at her tone, but continued to stare; she knew that Shira was tempted to make upgrades sometimes that would make her more deadly than the average human, but at a cost to her Force sensitivity. Mara had learned from Vader that the application of countless replacements of an actual human limb had major repercussions later on, as the cells of an individual were full of midi-chlorians, and as the blood flowed through those limbs, the Force also did. Vader had years to master the disadvantage that he had with his own prosthetics, able to focus the Force when using a Force choke in his hand, stemming it from the connections he had to his flesh in the arm under the suit, but if Shira was transforming herself into a cyborg willingly...

"I am not going to be a _complete_ cyborg, Jade," Shira interrupted her thoughts, staring at her hand. "I am going to only make myself stronger than before. Part cyborg, part woman."

"And Vader _agreed_ to this?" Mara couldn't help but ask.

"It was at the suggestion of the Emperor, a new project he was working on. I agreed to be the guinea pig for the project," Shira shrugged. "Soon, I'll be complete."

Mara thought for a moment that Shira's brain had some loose wires- literally, if she had opted to remove some for a mechanical brain, she amused herself- under that skull of hers. Why would Vader let his prize student undergo such radical and untested changes without thought? Surely a Master would have some decency to stop their student from doing so, but then again, Vader was one to cause un-necessary harm towards an individual, whether it was apprentice or not.

Mara watched as Shira picked at the skin of the open wound, revealing the metal underneath, and easily peel it off, chucking the pieces to the corner of her cage without hesitation, disgust yet awe on her features; was this part of the upgrade that Shira was having?

"Like it, Jade?" Shira retorted, looking at her, flexing her claw-like fingers. "Imagine the damage I can do to someone with these claws? Can I rip someone's throat off? Can I blind someone for life? Possibly; I can succeed now where I have failed otherwise."

"Just because you are now part machine, does not mean you are better," Mara sneered, turning away. "Nothing compares to being just human, not a machine; you are cold, emotionless, and have lost a vital part of humanity. Age."

Shira gave a cold laugh, so cold and high that Mara felt the hairs stand up on the back of her neck; since when did Shira sound like that? What was going on with her?

"You're being corrupted, Shira," Mara said. "Please... You need to get help; it's obvious something has gone wrong in the transformation, and you're getting affected. We're going to get out of here, and get you to Vader and reverse these changes-."

"No!" Shira snarled. "No, I'm not removing these changes! Soon, I will be one of the most feared Sith that will exist in the new Sith Order, and the Jedi will fear me completely."

"Delusional," Mara muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes and turning her head away. Yet, fear crawled up through Mara's body, her blood turning icy-cold; if Shira became too powerful, then she and Vader would be able to overthrow the Emperor and Mara, killing the pair. If Shira was the same one that Mara had heard about- and she was the Shadow Hand of Vader- then Mara would have some tough competition ahead, proving to her Master and the rest of the Hands that she was worthy.

"Delusional, you say, Mara?" Shira repeated. "No; more open minded."

She reached down, and took a glove from her belt, pulling it over the claw she now had for a hand, before staring at the black leather, her face twisted into a frown.

"I am a _new_ kind of Sith; I don't rely on those laser swords to defend myself. I have the light-whip, and those fools won't know how to work it in a million years," She looked up at Mara. "That's why I'm the better assassin."

"Shut up, you two," The Zygerrain suddenly interrupted. "The pirates are coming back!"

True to her word, a door opened nearby, hissing, and then the sound of heavy footsteps as a Trandoshian appeared, staring down at them with wary eyes, before pausing above Mara's cage. He hissed, staring at her, and licked his teeth, before saying. "Finally woken up, beautiful."

"Perhaps," Mara retorted. "Now, would you like to tell us where the kriff we are going?"

"Somewhere that your Empire won't dare stray into, spy," The Trandoshian answered with a hiss. "We are venturing into the Rebel Alliance's territory now, picking up some new prey; a bunch of Jedi brats, I hope."

_Jedi?_ Mara thought, her eyes widening. "What do you mean, Jedi? How the kriff are you going to get your slimy claws on them?"

"Because sooner or later, they will be going on a scouting mission, beautiful," He answered. "And when they do... We will strike. You and the mistake next to you won't be alone any longer."

He laughed, moving away, and leaving Mara to glare after him. Great, Jedi... Just what she needed right now; a bunch of monks that preached to everything and everyone about preserving the light, and how to not harm anything, wearing their hair and clothing in elaborate styles to make them look majestic and godly. In honesty, that was what Mara disliked about the Jedi; that was how they got butchered.

Their arrogance, their self-righteous behaviour, and the need to rescue everything and everyone was their downfall. Once they were captured and rendered useless by these pirates, then Mara would have to admit even to herself, that even they- the Sith or Dark Jedi- would be powerless alongside the Jedi, and though she would not like it, they probably would have to work together in order to defeat these pirates, once and for all.

Ooo

Darth Vader strode through the rain that hammered down onto him from the clouds in the skies of Coruscant, his cape billowing behind him as he moved, waving his hand as he opened the doors to his fortress with ease, moving through the torch lit corridors and towards his experimental chambers, eager to see how his little project was going on; if all went well, then his prized student would become the first in a powerful group of Force-sensitive supersoldiers, and what would be more suitable to her first trial than to help him take down the Emperor, and establish a more powerful ruler than Sidious?

Of course, his Master thought that the project was to help tip the scale of the War into their favour- that was true in a way, but once Shira had completed her task and the trial that Sidious had delivered to her in the secret briefing, then, and only then, will Vader enhance her training and make her as powerful as he was. He had over a decade to plan his revenge against Sidious, since he had discovered that Sidious had wanted to kill his son at the first chance, and before his first birthday. Of course, Shira never knew that was the reason that Vader wanted Sidious dead as well; revenge was what Vader _craved_ now, the very reason that he was alive.

Vader entered the experimental chamber, and nodded to the head mechanic that was there, who had operated on Shira, turning some parts of her into a machine; if the programme went well, Shira would become a superb addition to the Force sensitive army that Palpatine was secretly preparing, even though the Hands never knew that there was more than one sometimes. Mara only knew about Shira because of the mission and a couple of passing moments that they had shared, sometimes present when Vader took Shira into meetings with him; and even then, they didn't get on very well.

Staring up at the screen, Vader marvelled at the scans that they had done with Shira; her upper body and right arm were now metal in some areas, but her right hand was replaced with a claw-like appendage, and an efficient power source that helped her use the Force in a more devastating way than before. The cortosis base also helped as well, able to render light-sabres useless against her, as long as the Jedi didn't see the weakspots.

"Have you located her and Jade yet?" Vader asked, turning to the head scientist. "Through the tracking device in Brie?"

"No, my Lord," The man answered. "We can't unless she activates it herself, or a powerful electrical source does so; we have to rely on her to make the contact with us."

Vader turned to stare at the scans of Shira; despite the fact that she willingly took the experimental procedures, Vader worried for her sometimes. These changes would be irreversible, and deadly if she turned against them and joined the Rebels, something that Vader already knew was never going to happen, as Shira was a strong Empire sympathiser, and nothing more. Surely, she would be valuable as a spy in the Rebel Alliance one day, and maybe Vader could use her as a means to discredit any of the high ranking individuals, including Obi-Wan.

However, that was _if_ he could manage to get her into the Rebels! And if this mission didn't go as planned, then the chances of them actually infiltrating the Rebels would be a disaster, even if Shira's name was never known, they would no doubt work out about her appearance; they needed to be sure that this mission would work or else they were in trouble.

"Make sure that Shira is closely monitored," Vader said lowly, turning to the scientist. "Her trackers are monitored closely, and send word to me instantly if it is activated. The sooner we get to her, the better."

"Yes, my lord," The scientist agreed. "I will make sure of it, personally, lord Vader."

Vader nodded, before turning around and leaving the experimental room, heading back through the corridors, and passing his training arena, where he spotted a couple of teenagers were training with practice 'sabres, watched by a couple of his Hands that he had trained personally. The youths were not as elegant and sophisticated as the Hands, but they were getting there, only slowly- too slowly by Vader's want, or need, so that they could keep up with the Jedi Order's rising numbers; if their intel was right, then the Jedi were starting to gain in number, with one Master taking on many students to keep the demand going, and have their students learn the basics before entering into battle.

Which was their weakness; learning just the basics won't help hault the Imperial Hands, but if they pursued advanced training, then the Jedi would end up becoming more deadly. Vader wondered that, if he had defeated Obi-Wan and saved Padme that day, would this be the life that Luke would have had? Training before him on that very arena, learning how to harness the Dark Side that would flow through his body.

Only now, Vader could sense that, in the Force, Luke was just too full of light, too much like _Padme_ than himself, with her strength and her resolve to do what is right, not what was wrong. Vader froze at that thought; since when did he care that he was doing evil, not the right motion that he had previously intended? What was going on with him?

_Ah, but you broke through, that day when you sliced off Mace Windu's hand, didn't you? _That familiar boyish voice sounded through his head. _And when you let me resurface and get consumed by grief, you took over there and then. My son would be ashamed of what we have become._

Vader ignored that voice in his head, knowing that it was the light side of Anakin Skywalker trying to break free. No, when he found Luke, he would offer that choice; he would join the Dark Side of the Force, or he would be delivered the other option.

Death.


	70. Part V, Chapter 6

_THE JEDI DARE  
><em>

Training was all Luke did when he was on Yavin, besides meditating and studying to help improve his already high grades, something which Obi-Wan was both proud and surprised by; Anakin hardly studied, yet passed when he crammed on the last night before the exam, and preferred training over his meditation and attendance in classes.

Today, Obi-Wan was helping Luke master a new style of fighting, completely different to his own method of fighting, which made the pair a formidable team; Luke and Obi-Wan usually had arguements about the Unifying and the Living Force, somewhat that Luke excelled at certain aspects that Obi-Wan had taken years to master himself, accomplishing much within a few months or years. Luke was just starting to becoming a very powerful Jedi, and maybe Obi-Wan could see him ascend higher than what Anakin was at the age of twenty-three; maybe Luke would be a proper Council Master by a young age, and teach as well. However, this was all wishfull thinking, and Obi-Wan had to keep in perspective that the future was always in motion; just because Luke was more than capable to be a symbol of a perfect Jedi, didn't mean it would stop him falling to temptation like Anakin did. Obi-Wan just had to keep a close eye on Luke, and spot the signs that he was also being tempted as well, and stop him; maybe his lack of compassion towards Anakin was the reason why he had fallen? His inability to be a more of a Father-figure towards Anakin was maybe the reason why Palpatine walked in so easily and took hold of Anakin, planted his claws in deep and tore that kind boy he once knew to pieces.

Obi-Wan shook his head and returned to watching Luke's training; he was still using Anakin's former light-sabre, the azure blade ignited as the boy worked into the kata he was in the middle of. Occassionally, Obi-Wan shouted criticisms towards his movements, but sometimes, he continued nodding at his movements, and the way Luke handled himself; sometimes, Luke had difficulty mastering control of his abilities when he was riled up or distracted. Those were his weakpoints; whenever Luke was meditating, or moving in a kata, he would hear something or see something, and get distracted, moving wrong and falling, or landing and jumping from his meditation. He still had much to learn, and even though he was an obvious user of the Living Force, Luke sometimes didn't focus on the present events that were occurring, and lose himself.

_Maybe having a Master of the Unifying Force doesn't help,_ Obi-Wan thought to himself bitterly. _I'm so focused on looking at the detailed picture of the Force that Luke suffers as he wants to focus at the present moment. This is obviously how Qui-Gon felt when he taught me; I was a struggle._

Luke paused in his kata, and turned to face Obi-Wan. "Are you alright, Master?"

"I'm fine," Obi-Wan replied, running a hand through his hair. "Just lost in my thoughts, young one. Shall we begin our sparring?"

Luke looked worried though, and said. "Master, if something is wrong with you, if you're ill, we don't have to train; I can spar with a Droid if you don't feel right."

Obi-Wan sighed; Luke was also a worrier, how could he have missed that?

"No, I shall be fine, Padawan," He comforted. "Come, let's begin our sparring, and hopefully have it finished before we get company again."

Luke nodded, and Obi-Wan walked to one end of the training arena they were in, taking his light-sabre and igniting it; he had remodelled his weapon into the old style he had during the waning years of the Republic, missing the appearance of his weapon, but kept the crystal the same. Moving into the Ataru opening stance, Obi-Wan decided to go offensive, and only defensive if Luke proved to be aggressive; his Padawan needed to learn that he cannot attack in fury and anger sometimes, which Obi-Wan had witnessed a few times before in their battles against the Empire.

Luke held his light-sabre before him, ready to attack, and stared at his Master, waiting for the attack to arrive.

It did; Obi-Wan began the duel by darting close and swiping for Luke's shoulder, tsking when Luke pathetically blocked it, before striking for his side.

Luke followed the attack, working out what Obi-Wan's strategy was; he intended to tire out the Boy, keep him blocking and on defence for as long as possible before moving in for the finishing move. Luke gritted his teeth, blocking the blow and twirling their blades, ducking low and striking upwards at Obi-Wan, who spun and ducked low as Luke rolled on his back, attempting to strike where his Padawan had crouched before, moving into an overhead strike instead, and narrowly missing the ear of his Padawan.

Luke ducked again, bringing his light-sabre around in a two handed strike, their weapons clashing in the air, both pushing against them to try and over-balance or back the other down. Luke tried to push against the stronger man's grip, only to realise that Obi-Wan was more worked up and trained, before breaking the hold and kicking his Master in the belly, making Obi-Wan stumble back slightly.

"Good!" Obi-Wan praised, twirling his light-sabre into the Soresu stance. "Good! Let the Force guide your movements, Luke!"

Luke took the advice to heart, and moved into the attack instead of defence, swiping in the large strokes of Djem So, attempting to disarm his Master using power instead of speed, slamming his weapon against Obi-Wan's own, watching with impatience as Obi-Wan blocked his blows and manouvered around him elegantly despite his age, causing Luke to think up a strategy that would enable him to successfully disarm or cause his Master to back down.

Luke drew the Force inwards to him, as he slammed his blade upwards against Obi-Wan's, making the Jedi Master quickly dart to the side, letting it tell him what to do, how to act against the defence that Obi-Wan had mastered over the years, showing him the weakpoints of the stance. Luke ran towards Obi-Wan, but at the last second, darted to the side and kicked off the wall, his free hand pushing forwards and swiping Obi-Wan's feet out from under him, his light-sabre drawn back but pointing towards the older man, before being twirled and drawn above Luke's head for a two handed strike, bringing the weapon down and crashing it on Obi-Wan's block, the Jedi Master forced against the ground; he thought that, finally, he defeated Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Naturally, his over-confidence in that moment was his downfall.

Obi-Wan stuck his feet out, kicking Luke onto his thighs and tossing him over, rolling onto his front and going after the teenager, Luke rolling into a crouch. His pale blue eyes widened, and he raised his light-sabre too soon, not having worked out Obi-Wan's strategy; the Jedi Master had been waiting for an early move, and that was it, his light-sabre feinging to his side, only to change course and Obi-Wan to kick his legs out from under Luke, tripping him and then pinning his 'sabre arm down with his foot, Obi-Wan standing above him and pointing his light-sabre at Luke's chin.

"Your over-confidence was the weakness there," Obi-Wan said, not even panting, whereas Luke was. "You acted too much in aggression towards someone of defence; patience is the key to succeeding here, Luke, against a defence swordsman. Eventually, one would _have_ to move, or you get them to move."

"I understand," Luke whispered.

"Remember, young one, that many Jedi have made that mistake in the past," Obi-Wan let him up. "And they have paid the price as a result."

Luke sighed and brushed himself down, watching as Obi-Wan shut his light-sabre off before following suit. "Master, how do I know when to strike? How do I know when I can't act in defence or aggression anymore?"

"You will know," Obi-Wan said. "I could sense you using the Force to aid your movements, let it guide you. Let it _tell_ you what to do and where to go; remember this, young one. A Jedi's strength flows through the Force, but beware anger, fear and aggression, for those are the emotions that lead to the Dark Side. Greed and a possessive nature can also turn a Jedi to the other side."

"I understand," Luke whispered.

"Until you quieten your mind, and find that spot inside you that guarantees inner peace, things will be difficult," Obi-Wan continued. "For both Master and apprentices alike struggle with that key part of them- pure- and in finding it, only then will you become a Jedi."

"Meditation," Luke nodded. "That's how we control ourselves, rid the pain and anger. How we separate ourselves from the Sith."

Obi-Wan nodded, before smiling. "You have learned much, Luke Skywalker. I forsee you will become a powerful Jedi one day- more powerful than any other. You just have to believe in yourself, and you will."

Luke smiled at that; it was good to know that his Master had confidence in him, compared to the other Jedi apprentices that he was stuck with. He sometimes wondered now whether they just picked on him because he had this lack in confidence towards certain aspects of his training.

"Now, go and take a break," Obi-Wan said, patting his shoulder. "And then, we will try this again."

Luke nodded, and walked out of the arena, deciding to get some fresh air. Raising his hands, Luke pulled his hood up and over his head, sheltering him from the cold and the fresh rain that was ready to fall at any second, staring upwards towards the sky, wonderment at the small droplet of rain as one tapped his cheek.

Having a sudden idea, Luke stopped when he arrived at a clearing, wondering whether he could attempt the meditative kata now, and heaved a massive sigh, before relaxing his body and removing his robe, letting the dark brown garment pool around his feet. Closing his eyes, Luke gently eased himself into the opening pose of the kata, only to wince when he felt a rain drop hit him square on the eyelid, soaking through his lashes and irritating his cornea. He groaned, and tried again, taking calming breaths, only to fail as another rain drop- icy cold- fell down the opening of his collar and down his spine, making him yelp and jump.

"Oh for Force sake!" He protested, grabbing his cloak and pulling it on, ducking under a large tree as the rain only began to get heavier, trickling through the branches of the tree above his head. Luke cursed his luck, as the cloak slowly began to get wet from the water that trickled down onto him, and stared back towards the Temple, wondering if he could make a break for it and get inside before the torrential downpour started.

Taking a deep breath, Luke made up his mind and bolted outside, running through the rain, trying to not slip as the ground beneath his feet turned steadily into mud, cursing under his breath, relieved when he saw the Temple gradually get closer to him, already reaching a hand out to grab the stone rail that led up the steps into the main area of the Yavin Temple...

When his feet got wiped from under him.

Luke landed face-first in the mud, skidding and coming to a stop, slowly easing himself up and staring down at himself with horror, the mud coating his clothing and his skin. Glancing upwards at the culprits, Luke felt overwhelming anger rise through him as he saw Kyle and a couple of his friends laughing nearby, the two holding themselves up, while Kyle slapped his thigh, doubled over.

"Wow, Skywalker, never thought you were so dumb and clumsy!" Kyle was laughing.

Luke glared up at him, and then reached up suddenly, grabbing Kyle by the leg and yanking him down into the mud, before pinning him down and smacking him right across the face.

"Think that's funny? Huh?" He snapped. "Well, try _this_ for size!"

He right-hooked Kyle, making him yell, before his two friends grabbed Luke and pulled him off, while Kyle placed a hand over his face to try and stem the blood flow of his nose. Glaring at Luke, Kyle straightened and pulled his fist back, only for Luke to twist out of the grips of the pair and throw one into the other, grabbing Kyle's fist and twisting it.

"I've had _enough_ of you and your friends messing around with me and my own!" He seethed. "So, this is your last warning, Katarn; back off or I'll break your arm!"

He kicked Kyle in the back of the knees, making him fall face first into the mud, only to find Kyle turn and tackled him too, ramming his fist into Luke's stomach; it seemed that the older apprentice had a knack at hand to hand combat, whereas Luke was still learning and inexperienced compared to him. Grabbing a fistful of Kyle's hair, Luke rammed a fist against his face once again, shattering another part of his nose, before one of Kyle's friends pried Luke off, and another Kyle.

"Easy, guys!" One warned, obviously worried. "Listen, if old Kenobi catches this, we're done for! Enough is enough, Kyle!"

"No, we ain't done," Kyle growled. "You think you're so tough, and powerful, Skywalker? Fine, I bet I can beat you in a race."

"In the air?" Luke challenged, pulling his arms free, glaring. "In our X-Wings?"

"Why not?" Kyle retorted. "Hangar B, midnight, and then we'll see who the best is; I win, you get to be my slave for a year. You win, your pick."

"If I win," Luke growled. "You leave me and my friends alone; you and your mates don't touch me and my friends at all, in any way, and don't tease me and them. Just leave us alone completely, or I'll have the right to smack you across the face so hard that you'll have a broken nose visible for the rest of your life."

Kyle nodded, and spat. "See you at midnight, Skywalker."

He beckoned his friends, and the trio left Luke, standing in the mud, covered completely. Luke reached up and wiped his mouth with one hand, and then winced when he got a bit of mud on his tongue, spitting it out, before walking back towards the Temple.

_What did I get myself into?_

Luke scowled, and walked towards his apartment, kicking his boots off at the door, and pulling his muddy trousers up so they didn't trail on the ground, and leave mud all over the floor. He strolled towards the 'fresher and entered, gently peeling his muddy clothing off and dumping them in a corner, turning the power-shower on.

Once all the mud was sufficiently scrubbed off his face and body, Luke quickly dried himself, wrapped a towel around himself before rushing to his room, searching for some casual clothing he could wear, both under his flight suit and by itself otherwise. Grabbing his brown breeches and black shirt, Luke quickly changed into them, and dried his hair, scowling still under his breath.

_Stupid Kyle, stupid Galen... Just stupid every one of them! I didn't do anything wrong for them to hate me so much!_

Luke paused in his rough towel rubbing of his hair, before lowering it, staring towards where he had thrown his light-sabre belt without much thought, seeing the mud coating the weapon. Grabbing some cloths, Luke soaked them lightly before gently scrubbing the mud off of the light-sabre, moving into each groove and around each button that was on, before doing the same at the ignition end.

Luke sighed, and placed his light-sabre back on the belt, and tied it around his waist before checking the clock; he had a few hours for a nap, before he had to change to ready himself for his and Kyle's showdown.


	71. Part V, Chapter 7

_THE STOLEN  
><em>

Luke woke from his nap, a bit dazed yet refreshed from the activity, stretching his arms and legs before sitting up from his bed, glancing around at his clock. He had made good time, and if he dressed in his pilot suit, he could maybe get a few checks in with his X-Wing after the battle; if he recalled, he had some damage done to most of the wing, and a few scratches, so he could work on that just now and wait for Kyle to appear.

That's if, he ever does appear.

Luke scowled as he rummaged through his wardrobe, searching for his pilot outfit, and grabbing a hold of it, laying it out before him; he had his outfit just now that he could wear, and he could bring his yellow jacket just in case he needed to just sling it over his shoulders. Grabbing the orange suit, Luke poked his feet through the tight ankles, and pulled it up, shoving his arms through before zipping it up to the neck before grabbing the white straps that he could use for both his weaponry and to secure him safely to his X-Wing chair. Sighing, Luke straped his light-sabre to his belt, and slung his pistol in a holster that he strapped to his belt too, before pulling his boots on and sneaking a peek out into the corridor, checking if his Master or any of the family was around.

Revan and Sara were not around, but he could sense his Master meditating out on the balcony, and wondered if he could sneak past Obi-Wan and out into the corridor and make a break to the hangar. Taking a deep breath, Luke stepped out into the corridor and tip-toed towards the stairs, wincing when he either caused a creak or his boots made a clinking noise, checking with baited breath that Obi-Wan had not moved from his spot by the balcony.

Heaving a deep breath, Luke reached out towards the door, ready to open it, when he heard.

"Going somewhere?"

Luke mentally cursed himself, and turned to see Obi-Wan standing, facing him now, a frown on his features. Quickly calming himself, Luke put on a grin and said. "I'm just going out for a scouting mission, nothing more, Master."

"And can I ask why you didn't tell me this earlier?" Obi-Wan asked.

Before Luke could answer, the door opened and he narrowly missed it by jumping to the side, glaring at Revan as he swaggered in, beaming widely, with Sara following behind him. Sara rolled her eyes, and said to Obi-Wan.

"Your son has just pranked Shaak Ti; turned her montrails _purple_."

Luke sniggered along with Revan; he didn't know why, as he was supposed to set an example to him, but Luke always found it humourous that Revan would be so daring to prank a Master Councillor of the Jedi Order and the Rebel Alliance, and get away with it without much trouble. Although, Luke had to admit, sometimes _Obi-Wan _himself participated in the pranks, and even Sara.

Obi-Wan and Revan had witnessed Luke getting into trouble a few weeks ago at the hands of Kota and Kento, the pair not liking the fact that Luke had only defended himself against Galen and Kyle when they decided to annoy him- as per usual- so the two men had dropped stink bombs in both the Jedi Masters' apartments and completely denied the incident, claiming that it had to have been Imperials that had _somehow_ managed to sneak into the main Rebel ship, and targeted Kota and Kento's apartments as they were the closest. Naturally, everyone was laughing about it, even Sara; she had scolded her husband and son when they got home, but then laughed about it afterwards.

Obi-Wan gave a snort, bringing Luke back to the present, and said. "Like his mother."

"Actually, like _you_," Sara argued. "Very much, Mr Troublemaker."

"Hey! I was young!" Obi-Wan protested, to which Revan snorted and said.

"You _were_ young, once. Not anymore."

"Revan," Obi-Wan retorted. "Don't say another word, son."

"What, why?" Revan questioned. "You know it's true!"

Luke coughed, knowing what was coming; when Revan and Obi-Wan had these light-hearted talks, they ended up nearly ninety percent of the time with Revan in a headlock or his trousers sporting a boot shaped print from where Obi-Wan had kicked him in a play-fight or chase. Sara, herself, rolled her eyes and strode past, heading towards the kitchen as Obi-Wan bore down on Revan, who backed off slightly, before grabbing his son in a head-lock and rubbing his knuckles firmly into his scalp, messing up the auburn locks and making Revan yell in protest.

Almost forgetting what he wanted to accomplish, Luke took this opportunity to sneak out, closing the door quietly behind him, and heading down the corridor towards the hangar bay.

Ooo

Revan was obviously in a foul mood with Obi-Wan after the head-lock incident, but the Jedi Master just chuckled and walked into the kitchen without a thought, approaching a counter and reaching over for a kettle to boil up some water, before turning to survey his wife as she cut some vegetables that they grew on the Yavin soil, washing them under the water that she ran from the tap.

Smiling slightly, Obi-Wan continued to watch her, before she turned to look back at him, her blonde hair framing her facial features; regardless of their age, she still looked young and beautiful, whereas he looked older and greyer, with lines on his features. Maybe it was because that Sara preferred to stay back at the Yavin Temple and teach, without having to go out onto the field like he did something that worried her all the time through their bond.

Obi-Wan hated being away from his family, but in war-time, duty over-rode everything, including Family bonds.

"What?" She said, smiling still at him.

Obi-Wan shook his head, and smiled. "Just marvelled by the beauty of my wife. I am so lucky to have you."

Sara chuckled, and turned the tap off, placing the vegetables down. "Love blinds you, Obi-Wan Kenobi; I am only a few years younger than you, and I don't look the same gorgeous woman that you fell in loved with and married."

"Of course you are!" Obi-Wan protested, approaching her and taking her hands, drawing her in for a hug. "Besides, you're just perfect to me in every and any way."

Sara smiled against his chest, and said. "As are you."

Obi-Wan smiled against her hair, resting his chin on the top of her head, closing his eyes to just savour the moment; with a War occurring all around the galaxy, moments like these are rare, and precious as they wanted to spend as much time with one another before Obi-Wan was called out to War once again. Occassionally, Obi-Wan debated about whether just putting his resignation in to the Rebel Council and stating that he couldn't leave his family anymore; it was starting to get difficult, and he had missed most of Revan's childhood and the beginning of his teenage years, and even though he felt it was too late, he wanted to spend as much time with his son as possible.

Obi-Wan just had that sinking feeling in his heart that his end was drawing near, the final notes of Obi-Wan Kenobi's song were being played, and the Force was starting to beckon him in his dreams, waking him with an echoing voice that sounded through his ears.

_So many mistakes, so little time to righten them,_ he thought sadly to himself.

_Then, we can do this together,_ Sara sounded through their bond, and she raised her head, smiling up at him. _Sweetheart, I won't let the Force take you. Not on my own life._

_That's what I am worried about,_ Obi-Wan answered back. _I don't want you to sacrifice yourself for me when the Force has already chosen my Fate._

_Don't talk like that,_ Sara said sternly. _If you think I'm going to just sit back and let my husband die, then you can think again. I'd fight it to make sure you're safe, forever._

Obi-Wan half-smiled, before hearing the door to the kitchen open, and Revan stalked in, paused as he stared at his parents, before smirking.

"I was just wanting a piece of cake, but instead I find you two snogging. I'll make a sign for you two so that you can put it on the door so that people don't walk in on you two."

"Revan Kenobi," Sara said firmly, but Obi-Wan cut across her.

"Well, knock the next time, son," He smirked. "It really helps, you know. Just in case."

Revan shuddered, and turned to walk out when he paused, and turned back. "Hey, why was Luke going out in his pilot gear earlier?"

"Apparently, he had a scouting mission," Obi-Wan answered, releasing Sara. "Which is new; I didn't know..."

"I don't think-," Sara frowned, thinking to herself. "Wait, I don't think he does have a scouting mission just now; it's not him that's on duty."

_Why I outta... That Skywalker!_

Obi-Wan gave a groan, and said. "I'll be back as soon as possible; I tell you, if _Anakin_ wasn't going to be the death of me, then Luke Skywalker definitely is. He's a danger magnet, and if I find that he's doing something dangerous with his X-Wing, I'll probably have a heart-attack."

"Then I'd better come with you, just in case," Sara said. "Revan, stay here."

"What? Why?" Revan protested loudly, glancing between his parents.

"Because, we don't need you causing more trouble than already has been occurring," Sara said.

"Aw, but I'll behave!" Revan whined. "Please! I just gotta see the X-Wings! Apparently, we're getting new models in and I am aching to go have a ride in one! Can't stay Temple bound all the time you know!"

"Your request has been delivered, but has been denied," Obi-Wan said, in a perfect mimic of a Droid voice. "Just... Stay put, son. Alright? It'll probably not be anything interesting for you to witness and boast about to your pals."

Revan scowled, but conceded defeat, stomping out and throwing himself on the couch, watching as his parents grabbed their cloaks, swung them on and walked off instantly, closing the door. Heaving a massive sigh to himself, Revan swung his legs onto the couch and relaxed, staring at the ceiling, when the door opened and Sara poked her head back through the door, a frown on her features.

"Feet. Off. Couch," She said in a short order, to which Revan did so, before she closed the door behind her.

Ooo

Luke strode towards his X-Wing, the rise of unwelcome nerves making his palms sweat as he pulled his ladder for the fighter across, stopping it and stabilising it at the pit, climbing up towards the open area and staring around as he checked for any sign of Kyle. He blinked, before jumping into the X-Wing's pit, flicking some switches before taking his helmet from the seat and sitting down, pulling it over his head and fastening it, lowering the orange goggles and buckling himself in.

He heard the hangar doors open, and glanced towards them, seeing Kyle swagger in, wearing a blood-red pilot suit and his helmet already under his arm, heading towards his fighter. He glanced at Luke's own, and his lips curled into a sneer, before he called. "Eager to get your backside kicked, Skywalker?"

"Oh no, just eager to kick yours," Luke retorted, flicking the switch and hearing the sliders as the bay closed above him, sealing him in an air-tight chamber. Flicking another switch, Luke heard his engines hum, and finally ignite in a massive explosion, using the Force to disengage the ladder and push it away to the side as his X-Wing slowly began to move forwards, taking the steering handles and guiding the ship out of the hangar. Increasing the speed, Luke disengaged the landing gear and pulled the handles upwards and took the ship into the air, sensing that Kyle was just following him. Gritting his teeth, Luke activated the wings, hearing them clatter and open, the lights on the tips blinking, and the controls also blinking and beeping before him.

He heard a crackle, and the comm. device on his control panel activated.

"_Alright then, Skywalker. We fly from here to the asteroids that are near the end of the system, and back; first one that returns is the winner, got it?"_

_"_Got it," Luke said through his gritted teeth, as Kyle pulled up beside him. "Let's do this!"

Luke accelerated his ship, Kyle following suit and the pair of X-Wings began to strain slightly under the high, and dangerous speeds that the pair were attempting, Luke spinning his and glancing to the left as Kyle began to close in against him, flipping over him to evade him, their wings nearly clipping.

"Hey! That's unfair!" Luke shouted, only to receive from Kyle.

"_Anything goes, Skywalker!" _

Luke gritted his teeth, frustration ready to assault him, as the asteroid field was visible before them, accelerating. "Fine, you want risky? I'll give you risky!"

He dived, plowing between two asteroids, hearing Kyle swear as he narrowly missed them himself, before Luke heard him accelerate past him. No matter; Luke had flown these fields in training simulations, and he used the Force to _connect_ with the asteroids, feeling them, and seeing them in his eyes; where they were going to be next, and their shape- which is often mistaken in space- and their speed. He twirled his X-Wing, hissing when he narrowly clipped a wing on a rock, knocking the light out, and pulled up alongside Kyle as the pair slowly curved around the largest one, heading back the way they came.

"Alright, Kyle, let's get back!" Luke ordered. "NOW!"

He glanced at Kyle's fighter, frowning at him, and then felt an explosion rock his X-Wing.

"_What the-?"_

Luke heard the alarms go off, and glanced down at his controls, eyes wide as the damage light blinked before him, and then the scan of his ship highlighted the ventral right wing was blown.

"_Luke! Luke, you okay? We got pirates on our tail!"_

Luke glanced back, and gasped; Kyle was right, there was a massive ship moving from behind the asteroid that they had turned around, easily plowing through the rocks or blasting them to pieces. Luke felt his heart hammer in his chest, as panic and fear began to over-ride everything he had learned- every piece of Jedi teaching that Obi-Wan had grilled into his skull- only to find nothing. Nothing that he had ever learned with Obi-Wan would help him here, but his pilot skills that he had learned with Red squadron, with Wedge and the other pilots that were members of his squadron.

"_Luke! They've got me!"_

Luke cursed himself, and glanced to see Kyle slowly get drawn back by some invisible force, and could hear over the intercom that he was pushing his engines to the max, smoke billowing from the X-Wing's engine compartment as they began to strain, ready to catch fire any second. Disengaging his right engine, Luke turned and faced the ship head on, and opened fire, blasting at the pirate ship, only to have fire retaliated back towards him, taking out his remaining right wing, sending his ship catapulting.

Luke squeezed his eyes shut as he felt the pull of the tractor beam on his own ship- no doubt what was responsible for the sudden loss of their ship movements- and struggled to free his ship, continuously firing at the pirates, praying that a retaliation fire would not strike his own fighter.

_Luke... LUKE! What's going on?_

Wait... That was Obi-Wan! His fear and worry must have leaked through the bond! If he could just concentrate and connect, despite the firing, and keep the conversation with Obi-Wan, he could get help!

Gritting his teeth, Luke opened his shields, letting Obi-Wan in, and cried. _Master! We're under attack by pirates at the asteroid belt! Kyle and I, our fighters are being pulled towards the ship by a tractor beam!_

_Luke, just hold on! We're on our way; just keep firing at the ship! Try and take out the source of the tractor beam! _

Luke did so, aiming for the bridge, hoping that he could kill the inhabitants and free both him and Kyle at the same time, his heart only pounding more ferosciously in his chest as his fight or flight responses began to over-ride everything else.

"Kyle! Kyle, just hold on!" He called, and checked his missile compartments; he had only one left from the battle recently, and thus he had to make this shot count!

Luke pulled down his targeting computer, focusing it and flicked the safety latch off the firing handle, his thumb hovering over it as the computer began to count down, his targeting computer aiding him in his decision.

Then, a shot struck through the glass, and narrowly missed his shoulder, taking the targeting computer clean off its support; landing heavily on Luke's knee and making it crack. He cried out in pain, clasping it tightly with his free hand, his breathing now rasping as the vital oxygen began to leak out and the cold sapped inwards, cracking the glass and causing ice to appear on the inside. His breath rose as a mist, as he gazed upwards as the X-Wing was pulled quicker towards the pirate ship, closing his eyes as he bit his lip with the pain, resting his forehead against the side of the ship, shivering delicately.

When he opened his eyes, he spotted the firing button just inches away from him, the missile alert system telling him that it was ready to fire, a loud beeping noise grating on his ears. He released his knee, and raised his palm, ready to slam it down on the button to fire.

Only to realise how close he and Kyle were to the pirate ship.

He chewed his lip, before sending to his Master. _Master Obi-Wan... I'm so... So... sorry... Forgive me..._

_Luke... LUKE! WHAT'S GOING ON?_

Luke slammed his palm down on the firing button, and heard the loud hiss as the missile soared towards the pirate ship, holding his breath as the much needed oxygen was slowly leached out of his his X-Wing's compartment.

The last thing he saw was an explosion, before he let the crushing darkness take hold, and fell unconscious.


	72. Part V, Chapter 8

_UNHOLY ALLIANCE_

When Luke woke, he found himself somewhere unfamiliar, somewhere that did not feel like home anymore; there was an aura of darkness, of ill-intent, couple with fear and anger in a large magnitude all around him. He groaned slightly, and shifted in his cell, sensing multiple life-forms coming in all directions, and carefully opened his eyes, blinking to adjust to the darkness that assaulted them, before carefully pushing himself up onto his side, and raising his head to stare around.

There were a row of cages on either side of him, and before him as well, with a walk-way between them and rails bordering it, raised a few feet off the ground above the cages, no doubt to stop the inhabitants getting a hold of the captors and breaking their leg by pulling them through the rails. Feeling his head spin for a moment- and thus making him dizzy- Luke clasped a hand to it and winced as he accidentally hit a bruise, hissing through his teeth. Pulling himself up against the back of the cage, Luke gazed around for any indication of Kyle in one of these cages, praying that the older Jedi apprentice was alright- regardless for what he had done to him.

"Hey, you okay?"

Luke turned his head in the direction of the voice, and spotted a red haired girl sitting in the cage directly diagonally left from his, her emerald eyes piercing as they stared at him. She wore a leather body-suit, with armoured boots and black gloves, and a sleeveless jacket over the top of it. Luke started for a moment; she was _beautiful._ He had to scold himself for staring, and shook his head.

"Are you okay?" The girl repeated.

"I'm fine, just a bit woozy," Luke answered. "Where are we? Who are these... People that have taken us?"

"Pirates," The girl answered, sitting back in her cage. "They sport hunt."

Her eyes skimmed over Luke, who for a moment wished that she wouldn't. He gazed away and down at his shoulder, seeing a bacta pad underneath the hole in his black shirt; at least the pirates had the curtousy to let him still wear his black shirt and boots, as well as his brown breeches. Yet, he was missing his light-sabre, and he frantically looked for that and his pistol, searching the cage floor by feeling the darkness with his hands, muttering under his breath.

"You won't find any weapons here, kid," A feline sounded near him, and Luke gazed around to see a Zygerrian perched in the centre of her cell, cross-legged. "They take them from you when they capture you; do you honestly expect them to let you _keep_ them?"

"Can't help for not trying," Luke murmured, and sat back against the cell, raising his gaze towards the girl. He cursed himself for staring again, and said.

"What is your name?"

The girl pondered for a moment, and said. "The name's Mara. Mara Jade."

"I'm Luke. Luke Skywalker," He responded. "It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise," She answered, nodding in greeting, before saying. "The girl next to me, also with flame red hair, is Shira Brie."

"Honestly, Jade, you don't _have_ to introduce me," A cold voice sounded, and something moved in the cage next to Mara. "I am perfectly capable of doing so myself, you know."

"Well, stop your brooding and do so," Mara retorted, glaring at the other girl.

"I apologize," The girl called Brie snided, and turned to Luke. "As Miss important has just said, I am Shira Brie.

"Brie..." Luke repeated, frowning slightly; he had heard that name before, but he could not remember where. Brie was a very unfamiliar name in the galaxy, and one of a kind, like Skywalker or Kenobi, and if others had it, it was few in existence, but this name rang a bell in his head. The Force instantly nagged at him, telling him something was amiss with that name, and her voice...

Her voice sent shivers up his back, as though it was winter starting to creep up his spinal column, desperate to reach his head. He recognised it, but from where, he wasn't sure.

"So, what happened to you?" Brie asked, breaking into his thoughts. "Pirates don't just capture anyone, you know."

Luke chewed his lip; how much should he really say about himself? For all he knew, this could actually be a hidden Imperial interrogation, and already, he had failed by giving them his true name, but then again, he could just be an innocent boy that just happened to share the same name as a Rebellion Jedi.

"I am a moisture farmer, from Tatooine," He said, putting some of the Force into the lie, edging it into their mind. "I was travelling with my brother, Kyle, and my aunt and uncle when the pirates attacked."

He suddenly froze, and stared around. "Wait... Kyle? Where is he?"

"Oh, your brother?" Brie sneered, and pointed to the cell next to her. "Snoring away."

Luke gazed towards the cell, and immediately scrambled towards the bars of his cage, staring at Kyle's limp form. He released a breath of relief when he saw that Kyle was still breathing, snoring loudly before them and for all of them to hear; Luke was almost tempted to chuck something at him, use the Force and make sure it hit him square in the forehead. Unfortunately, he didn't have anything, and he lounged back, resting against the back of the cage he was in.

"You know, they should have the common decency to give us refreshers," The Zygerrian hissed beside him. "I'm bursting for the toilet."

"They're pirates, what do you expect," A Trandoshian sounded from Luke's right. "Toilets and food aren't exactly on their list for their prisoners."

"So, what exactly do they plan to do with us?" Luke quizzed. "Release us, and they crawl through the undergrowth and try and kill us?"

"Skin us," The Trandoshian added on. "And hang us on their walls, unless they find out that someone is worth of value to the Empire or the Rebellion, they'll kill the individual and present the body to them and get the money as a result. I'll tell ya, the hunt will be magnificent." He paused. "Even though I'm being hunted by my own kriffing kind."

"Sorry," Luke said automatically.

"No matter," The Trandoshian shrugged. "I ain't fussed. The name is Skyp, by the way."

"Luke, as you've no doubt heard," Luke nodded in greeting towards him. "So, what's your story?"

"Was out doing some business with the Hutts, forgot to bring my pistol," Skyp shrugged again. "Next 'hing I know, I'm being chased by these pirates across the wastelands and I trip over a root."

Brie snorted. "Trandoshians are not exactly _agile." _

"Neither are you, but who's complaining," The Zygerrian murmured under her breath.

"Next 'hing, I was blasted by a stun gun. Woke up in this cage like I'm some sort of animal," Skyp glared at Brie when she made to open her mouth. "Don't say it, kid, or I'll break your neck."

"What have you got against sentinant beings?" Luke couldn't help but ask Brie.

"She's an Empire sympathisor," Mara murmured. "Probably works for them as well; they have people on these kind of missions all the time."

_I wouldn't be surprised,_ Luke had to think to himself; the Empire had ways of getting into criminal organisations and taking them down. Sometimes, they use the most seemingly innocent methods, such as sending an innocent looking teen or adult into bars or gatherings to gain intelligence over high profile crimes such as drug dealings or, in some unfortunate cases, Rebel sympathisors selling equipment to the Rebellion themselves. Luke had heard of some close encounters with the Empire as a result with some of their fleet, all because of a sympathisor managing to intercept a key transmission between the Home base and a fleet, nearly exposing the location of the Rebel Alliance's secret location. As a result, new codes were placed for each fleet, and the Rebels had taken to changing their codes every now and then to stop both sympathisor and Imperial gaining access.

Luke turned to Brie. "What's wrong with non-humans?"

"They're not exactly the most civilised bunch," Brie retorted. "Humans are supreme."

"Shut up," A new voice sounded, and Luke saw Kyle shift and sit up. "Don't talk about something like that to which you don't know or understand; for your information, non-humans are actually smart in some cases compared to Humans, Imperial."

Brie scowled at him, before saying. "And who exactly are you, a Jedi?"

_Don't say,_ Luke warned Kyle through the Force. _You're my brother. We are moisture farmers. Parents got killed._

_Good call,_ Kyle answered. _In case you haven't realise, we look NOTHING alike!_

_I'm adopted then,_ Luke retorted. _Just go ahead with it!_

"No, but I kriffing wish I was," Kyle said. "They could have sorted things much quicker than the Empire and the kriffing Sith could ever do so."

_And... You've blown in,_ Luke sighed in his head. _Because how do moisture farmers know about Sith, exactly, Kyle?_

He could feel Kyle's apprenhension, and sighed heavily, before saying to Mara. "Alright, we aren't moisture farmers. We're Jedi apprentices; we were out in our ships when the pirates attacked us and kidnapped us before our Masters could get a hold of us themselves."

"Well, prove it," Skyp said. "If you're a Jedi, prove it."

Luke gazed towards Skyp, really not in the mood, and said. "I'm not a performing monkey."

"Just move something, and I'll believe you," Skyp hissed, leaning towards him. "Or perform a mind-trick or something."

"I don't need to do anything to prove I'm a Jedi," Luke retorted. "And I'm not in the mood."

"Actually, why don't you use your Jedi powers to get us out of here?" A new voice sounded.

"Can't you blast the bars off?" Another sounded.

Luke froze, before turning to face the others, and said. "How many are here, exactly?"

"Dunno," Mara answered. "We were the last ones before you and your friend was captured. But by the appearance of the cages, I think there must be at least thirty of those, so at least thirty of us. But judging by how the cages stink, I don't think we are the first ones to have in these cages, which means that there are probably more where we are heading to."

Luke looked away towards his feet; he had already begun to plan their escape from the ship, and to go and get help, but when he heard about the others that were probably imprisoned on the unknown planet that they were heading to, that crashed every prospect he had of finding a quick and easy way back to Yavin 4. But Obi-Wan had always told him to _never _give up hope! To never back down unless he had to, that he didn't have a choice! And he had the choice now; he could use the Force to break the bars and then the others, and attack the pilots, take the ship and send an SOS to both the Rebels and the Imperials, telling them that they had citizens from both, that they had apprehended the ones that had captured them and they were awaiting rescue, to be taken back home.

Home... Home seemed so far away already.

Luke raised his head, before saying. "We gotta do something; we can't just sit here and do nothing."

"Listen, these pirates know what they are doing," Brie sneered. "As soon as you break out, they'll use ways to confine you and keep you imprisoned; you think this is gonna be easy, Jedi, think again."

"Luke, we're only apprentices," Kyle interjected. "What can we do to help? Nothing. We can't do anything to stop them; compared to our Masters, we are at a sever disadvantage."

Luke glared at Kyle. "My Master would never forgive me for backing down from a situation like this. We are supposed to protect the individuals of the Galaxy, to beat evil and injustice back-."

"And yet, your Rebellion does exactly that," Brie interrupted. "You are killing people just now, innocent people. You are employing Bounty Hunters to help train your troops and attack key Imperial Trading areas, killing thousands of innocent individuals."

Luke froze, barely aware of what Kyle was saying to counter that argument, staring at the ground; for the first time ever, Luke felt as though, in some dark part of himself, that he may have chosen the wrong side. Deep inside him, Luke felt something stir inside him, as though there was a darkened part of his soul, plagued by some sort of secret...

Yoda's last words rang through his head- fresh as they were fifteen years ago- once again speaking of a betrayal, close to his heart. Suddenly, Luke was wondering if this betrayal was coming closer to him, feeding the darkness that was now only starting to surface inside him.

A door opened, and everyone stopped talking, their eyes now focused on the person that had appeared in the cage room. Luke's eyes ascended towards the individual that had entered, and immediately recognised them as a Bothan.

They were tall, and grey furred, with his elongated canines carved into sabres, and muscles ripped in their arms. Apart from a bulge of fat around their midsection, Luke thought that they looked strong, worked out, and a dangerous individual as they wore a large knife along with what appeared to be a slug gun, which made Luke's heart quicken slightly. The Bothan's eyes surveyed each individual in each cage, red in colour, and he stared down towards the two teen boys and teen girls, smirking at them.

"Well, well. Young prey," He sneered. "Such delight to hunt for."

Luke glared at him, and demanded. "Who are you?"

"The name is Rickton," The Bothan answered. "I lead the gang, Jedi, and once I have released you into the jungle for the hunt, you'll wish you never strayed far from your Master. And that you died by Darth Vader's hand as well."

Ooo

Obi-Wan stood in the navigation centre, a scan of the galaxy before him, staring at it, with the Empire and Rebel territories highlighted before him.

When he and the other Masters had arrived at the asteroids to save Luke and Kyle from whatever it was that was attacking them, Obi-Wan had watched in horror as the two X-Wings were pulled towards the massive contraption of metal, and into the hangar. He had heard the sounds of laser fire as the other Jedi shot towards the massive ship, but he, himself, was frozen solid as he watched the massive ship turn and make the jump, leaving the Jedi in the asteroids, the shock vibrating around the rest of the Jedi that were in the fighters only magnified for him.

He had lost Luke. He had lost the one person that Obi-Wan cared about as much as his own son and wife, that weren't related to him in blood at all, a close Father-son bond.

Obi-Wan scoured the map, looking at the red highlighted area that marked the Empire's territory, wondering what he could do, if anything at all; it would take years, many years, to find Luke and Kyle amongst the many systems and planets, and if the pirates knew that the Rebels were looking for the two boys, they would move them to a new location- perhaps a location that the Rebels had already checked. No, their best option was to alert their spies in each of their systems to look for the vessel, and the Padawans as well, and to alert the Jedi and the Rebels over the whereabouts.

He sighed, and heard the door open, raising his head to see Shaak Ti enter, her lekku loose over her shoulders. Her opaque eyes found Obi-Wan, and she said. "We will find them, Obi-Wan."

"I really hope so," Obi-Wan murmured. "I just hope so."

"We will," Shaak placed a hand on his shoulder. "Everyone is keeping an eye for them, and if they have the slightest view of that ship, they will let us know."

"I need to find him, before the Empire does," Obi-Wan straightened. "If Vader gets his hands on Luke, then we are in trouble; if he turns to the Dark Side, then we might not be able to force the Empire back. This stalemate is important; if we lose someone powerful and intelligent to the Empire, then they can push the Rebels back and closer towards Home base."

"How do you intend to find him?" Shaak quizzed.

"The bond is still intact," Obi-Wan said. "If I can locate him through the bond, then we can rescue him and Kyle."

"And how do you suppose to defeat these pirates?" Shaak asked. "You'll need some help."

She was right; Obi-Wan _needed _help to find Luke. If the bond wasn't enough, there had to be some way to locate Luke in the Force, and there was only one way to do so. In order to get a precise reading and location of Luke, Obi-Wan had to venture into the inner core and to Coruscant, or where the fleet- the deadly fleet that belonged to his now Former apprentice- was last seen, or is currently touring, ready to infiltrate any Rebel territory that was weak and unprotected, which is impossible right now, as the Rebel Fleet was now present in their system territories.

Obi-Wan sighed, and said. "I have something I need to do, Shaak, and I need you to stay here and keep a check on things."

"I will, Master Kenobi," Shaak nodded. "But what about your wife and son?"

"I'll talk to them," Obi-Wan brushed his front down and free of dirt, before saying. "I'll be back as soon as I can, Shaak, don't worry."

"I know, Master Kenobi," She said. "Just be safe."

"I shall," Obi-Wan bowed his head. "May the Force be with you."

"And with you too, Obi-Wan," Shaak responded.

Obi-Wan turned and strode through the corridor, passing by Rebel troops and pilots, his head held high and ready, his hand close to his light-sabre just in case one of them was actually an Imperial spy that had managed to infiltrate the Yavin base. Taking a steady breath, Obi-Wan moved- not for his apartment- but for the hangar bay, already fishing out his comm. link to send a message to Sara and Revan, to tell them what had happened and the mission he had undertaken.

He paused, suddenly wishing that he could turn around and decide not to take the mission, and rush back to his wife and son for the comfort he needed just now. He closed his eyes, trying to figure out how to tell Sara that he was going again, having only just got back to them.

"Master Kenobi! Master Obi-Wan!"

Obi-Wan turned around to see Leia rushing towards him, her white dress flowing like cloud, and her hair tied up into the familiar pair of buns at the side. He gave a smiled, and bowed his head slightly towards her. "Princess."

Leia came to a sudden stop before him, and said. "Please, let me help you find Luke..."

"Out of the question," Obi-Wan argued, cutting across her. "We can't let anyone see you with a Jedi; you're the only one in the Imperial Senate that would give us Intel about what the Emperor is up to. If we lose you, then we are going against the Empire blind."

"I have to help!" Leia protested. "Please!"

Obi-Wan sighed heavily, and ran a hand through his hair; Leia was stubborn, like her Father, and persistent in her decisions. Obi-Wan marvelled at how Luke and Leia were opposites to one another; Leia looked like Padme, but had Anakin's attitude, and Luke looked like Anakin, but had Padme's attitude. Out of the pair, Luke was more powerful than Leia, gaining it each day, whereas Leia's own power seemed... Suppressed.

Obi-Wan pulled himself out of his daydreaming, and said. "You can help Luke by finding out whether these pirates were hired or not by the Empire, and whether Palpatine has anyone that could have been kidnapped by the pirates; if there are any Imperial agents that have been missing for a few days, then we need to know. It would help us plan our next move effectively; Luke's life depends upon your success, Leia."

Leia nodded firmly, and said. "I'll head over to Coruscant in the morning; we have a meeting anyways with the Imperial Senate, and the sooner I get out of that and find those records, the better chance I have of studying them."

"Good luck," Obi-Wan said, turning to head back down the corridor.

"Wait, Master Kenobi," Leia called, stopping him. "Where are you going?"

Obi-Wan turned to face her, and smiled. "I have a meeting with an old friend, once I have located him. And don't worry, nothing wrong will become of it."


	73. Part V, Chapter 9

_NAR SHADDA  
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Obi-Wan steered his fighter into position as he departed the moon of Yavin, heading towards the edge of the galaxy. Flicking some switches, Obi-Wan closed his eyes as he pictured Sara and Revan once again in his mind, wishing he could have said goodbye to them before he had to depart for the Empire territories; if he could just sense Vader, maybe he could convince him to meet with him on a planet in the system, and discuss what to do about finding Luke.

He opened his eyes, and raised a hand for the switch that would initiate the jump into hyperspace, but hesitate; what if he made the wrong decision? What if he arrived there, and instead of wanting to talk, Obi-Wan would soon find himself trying to flee the system with a fleet of Star Destroyers on his tail, continuously firing at him and trying to destroy the Jedi Master. Despite his skills in using the Force to help him fly, Obi-Wan knew that this time, his chances of outrunning the Imperials and a more powerful Force user than himself would be slim, and if his dreams recently had anything to go by, he was close to his Death...

_Maybe it was best to not say goodbye to Sara and Revan personally,_ he thought to himself sadly. _I can't bear to make that promise where I may not be able to make it back._

Obi-Wan continued his hesitation, staring at the switch that his hand hesitated at, before retracting his hand and resting it on his thigh; surely he could fulfil his duty as a Husband and tell Sara about his mission, and say one last farewell? He heaved a deep breath, now unsure about what he should do; finding Luke was his main priority, and if he delayed any longer, then he would put his apprentice at even greater risk than before, with the youngster's fate in his hands.

_I can't do this. I have to think about my duty as a Master; I need to save Luke, and if by having help from my worse enemy achieves that, then I have no choice._

Obi-Wan reached over and flicked the switch, initiating the jump into hyperspace. He felt himself get pushed back, and took some steady breaths as he witnessed that familiar, sickening lights that revealed the jump, closing his eyes and trying to not imagine what and where they were moving, shivering slightly as though the very thought of them made him feel sick.

Tightening his grip on the steering yokes, Obi-Wan sunk into a light meditation, keeping his shields firmly locked in place to prevent any penetration, searching each tendril of the light side for guidance over this situation; it told him exactly the same, that he needed to find the Father in order to locate the son, but a warning that he was going to be betrayed by someone, maybe the very individual that he was meeting, or maybe by a close friend.

Sensing a familiar presence arise in his mind, Obi-Wan blinked behind his eyelids, and opened his shields _very _slightly, and found himself staring through a mist, bright in a darkening room. Staring around, Obi-Wan waved his hand to clear the mist as the brightness in the area he was in began to slowly dull down, and felt the same presence from before greet him, friendly and glad to see him or feel his presence. Turning his head towards the source, Obi-Wan didn't return the smile of the man that stood before him, and only nodded curtly, staring at the individual.

_"Qui-Gon,"_ He greeted.

The Jedi Master smiled again, and approached, standing just a foot away from Obi-Wan, and said. _"Hello, my old apprentice."_

_"Why are you here?"_ Obi-Wan asked, folding his arms.

_"What you are embarking upon, is risky," _Qui-Gon said, worry now seeping onto his aged features, and in that baritone voice- a tone that Obi-Wan was now beginning to detest with every fibre of his being- and his eyes reflected grief. "_If you stray to Vader's grasp, to find this boy, then you are only fulfilling what you have told Sara."_

_"I am prepared for it,"_ Obi-Wan answered. "_I have been since the day Anakin Skywalker was murdered by Darth Vader and Darth Sidious, that day in the Chancellor's office; I have only to wait until the opportunity, that Luke is ready for my passing."_

_"You still believe this boy is the one?"_

_"Do you still believe Anakin is?"_ Obi-Wan quizzed, blinking at Qui-Gon; still, after all this time, the Jedi Master was stubborn and arrogant, not realising how much damage he had done to the Galaxy by unleashing the evil that now reigned supreme throughout the Galaxy. "_Maybe you have forgotten the Holocron..."_

_"Ah, yes,"_ Qui-Gon said, amused. "_The Holocron that you allowed to slip into the grasps of those pirates that are rumoured to be cruising the Galaxy, stealing innocent people?"_

_"If Luke can accomplish this, and take the Holocron back, then he no longer needs me," _Obi-Wan replied. "_He is capable of doing this mission; I just never anticipated that the pirates had taken an interest in Jedi apprentices this early on. I was hoping for him to pursue this mission without having capture and being this year."_

_"Yet, it has happened," _Qui-Gon argued. "_You have let the son of Anakin get captured."_

_"I didn't know,"_ Obi-Wan said firmly, his voice starting to get firmer. "_If I had forseen this, I would NEVER have let Luke out on his own with Kyle Katarn."_

Qui-Gon didn't reply, and turned his gaze away, staring out into the darkening room, which Obi-Wan was now starting to realise was becoming _cold_- it was an indication that he was getting close to Darth Vader, and if the darkening room was not an indication, then Obi-Wan would willingly kick himself as a result. Staring around at Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan said.

"_And with the Son... The Jedi shall truly return."_

Those were his last words Obi-Wan said to Qui-Gon, pulling himself away and out of the meditation that he had undertaken. Opening his eyes, the Jedi Master returned to natural space, and took the yokes with his hands, as the bursts of light disappeared and were replaced with normal space, the navi-computer blinking that he had arrived on Nar Shadda, before an alarm sounded that there was Imperial cruisers around. Chewing his lip, Obi-Wan flicked a control, and opened the communication channel between him and the Imperial fleet.

Immediately, a snarky voice sounded through his speakers in greeting towards him.

_"Rebel Fighter, you have one warning; turn around, or you will be fired upon! This is Imperial territories!"_

"I am here to speak to Darth Vader, if he is around in any of these cruisers," Obi-Wan replied, trying to keep his nerves doused. "It is important."

"_I'll tell you what is important, and I have a message myself, Rebel! Turn your high-tail fighter around or we'll blast your fighter to- GAAH!"_

The voice was cut off, and Obi-Wan started as he heard choking for a few, agonizing moments, and then a noise that sounded as though the individual had fallen to the ground. Someone sounded briefly, and then a new voice sounded that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

"_Rebel fighter, this is Lord Vader, commander of the Imperial fleet. State your intent."_

"Hello, Anakin. It's me," Obi-Wan said, trying to sound cheerful, in a hope to get on Vader's good side. "I was hoping to have a talk with you."

"_Obi-Wan Kenobi,"_ Vader drawled. "_Absolutely not; I'm having my cruisers move into position to blast your miserable fighter out of the sky."_

Obi-Wan gulped, and raised his head, staring out as the massive Imperial cruisers appeared from around Nar Shadda, heading straight towards him. He had to think, and fast, about what to do!

"Listen, Vader, it's important that I talk to you," He said urgently, ready to accelerate out of the system at the first sign of an attack formation even being attempted by the Imperial cruisers.

_"Oh? Enlighten me, my old friend."_

"It concerns Luke," Obi-Wan replied. "Please, it's important."

There was a pause on the other end, and then Vader's voice sounded once again, this time not as dark and menacing as before, and betraying some hint of concern for his son's wellbeing. It seemed that Padme may have been right after all; there was goodness after all, just lingering inside of Darth Vader, as though Anakin Skywalker was trying to break free, concerned for his son's state.

"_What has happened, Obi-Wan? Tell me!"_

"I can't tell you over the comm. We need to meet face to face, and it's important that we do," Obi-Wan replied. "Please, tell your cruisers to stand down, and I'll meet you down on the surface; your decision on where."

"_Very well; I'll stand my crusiers down, but any attempts to kill me or escape when down on the surface during or before the meeting, and I will have you shot down."_

"Agreed," Obi-Wan said. "Now, tell me where."

_"There is a club on the main high-street, that I use to do deals with Bounty Hunters and Imperial spies,"_ Vader answered. "_The Necronomer."_

"Ah, yes," Obi-Wan replied; he had heard about it during some of the Rebel troops when they had managed to sneak off after their shifts and get rounded up when they returned to Home Base, stinking of alcohol and having a firm telling off alongside their hangovers. "I shall meet you down there."

"_Good. You are free to pass to the surface."_

Obi-Wan deactivated the signal, and accelerated, his fighter streaming past the cruisers and down towards the surface, the thrusters at the back giving off one powerful burst so that he entered the atmosphere, heading downwards towards the surface, ignoring the heavy clouds and the feeling of trouble as he spied some gang fights in the streets of the city. Rolling his eyes, Obi-Wan steered towards a platform with storm-troopers- no doubt having heard that they were to let him land without attacking- and gently eased the fighter down, activating the landing gear and coming to a stop. Unstrapping himself, Obi-Wan opened the top, and climbed out, seeing the storm-troopers approaching, only to get waved off as Obi-Wan walked away from his fighter, robes billowing behind him as he strode down the steps and towards the streets, pulling his hood up automatically.

Ignoring the fights around him, and the calls of the gangs with insults, Obi-Wan strode towards _The Necronomer_, wondering why Vader would want to meet in a place like it; surely, he would see some Rebels off-duty that had managed to get onto Nar Shadda, and if Vader attacked, the Rebels would be able to step in. Fortunately, he did sense some familiar Rebels that were in the club, and when he stepped in, smiled when he saw a group of Corellian Rebels sitting nearby, their eyes now on him. In unison, the group nodded, and Obi-Wan nodded back, before searching for any sign of Darth Vader.

He was sitting at the back, in a lonely booth, with two black-armoured troopers at the sides, the Sith leaning back against the seat and in the shadows, invisible to those that looked for just a second towards him.

Lowering his hood, Obi-Wan approached, and said. "Hello, Anakin."

"Obi-Wan Kenobi," Vader greeted, before indicating before him. "Please, sit."

Obi-Wan glanced at the troopers for a moment, before doing so, sitting across from Vader and placing his hands on the table- which Vader copied- so that they were away from their light-sabres and any weapon they would have hidden under their robes. Gazing at one another for a moment, the pair surveyed each other's features- which was impossible for Vader- before Vader broke the silence first.

"Now, tell me what had happened with Luke."

"He was last seen near our Base," Obi-Wan answered. "But in a hot headedness, was involved in a dare with another Jedi apprentice; we interviewed the other's friends, and discovered this after we tried to save them."

"_Tried_ to save them?" Vader repeated. "What happened to my son, Kenobi? Where is he?"

The metallic fist came down, and cracked the table, but Obi-Wan kept calm and replied. "We saw them get taken by some pirates, and afterwards, disappeared into space; we _will_ find them, but in order to do so, we need some sort of bond, such as that between Father and son."

"And you want _me_ to help _you_ find _my_ son?" Vader demanded, leaning back. "If I refuse?"

"Luke will die," Obi-Wan hated to say it, but without some way of finding Luke, there was no doubt that he would die before the Jedi could get to him; if the Emperor got his hands on Luke, or the pirates realised, Luke was dead either way.

Vader hesitated, the only noise that came from him being his life support system, his mask focused on Obi-Wan himself, not moving even an inch. Obi-Wan could tell deep inside that Vader was contemplating what to do; should he risk his reputation and alliance with Sidious to help an individual that Sidious wanted dead at all costs, or should he go with his natural, paternal instinct and save his offspring?

"What is he like, Obi-Wan?" Vader asked suddenly, his voice soft despite the suit. "What does he look like, who does he take after?"

"Luke?" Obi-Wan clarified, before running a hand through his hair. "He's... He was like you when you were younger; blonde haired, sky blue eyes, tanned skinned, but his attitude and personality are completely different to yours. He reminds me of..."

Obi-Wan hesitated, and Vader understood, his masked head dropping slightly at the remembrance of Padme Amidala Skywalker. Deep down, Obi-Wan felt bitterness towards himself rise at the fact that he could have prevented what had happened that day on Polis Massa, tried to save her so that the Twins still had some parent; Vader didn't count, as he had turned to the Dark Side, and his intentions for his children would have been to turn them and use them for the Dark Side, without a care for their wellbeing and safety when they went on dangerous missions.

"He has your old light-sabre," Obi-Wan continued on from the pause. "Cleaned of the blood, of course, despite the memories of what you have done being fresh still."

"I did what I must," Vader said softly. "For peace, and I don't regret it now."

"Does Padme's death count in that category as well?"

That was the end of Vader's already shortened nerve, and the Sith jumped up, his light-sabre in hand and ready to be ignited. Obi-Wan dived to the side as the crimson blade slashed where he had sat, and landed on the ground, grabbing his own light-sabre and raising it to be ignited, just as blaster bolts sounded as the Rebels jumped up, aiming straight for the pair of black-armoured troopers that were aiming towards Obi-Wan, one getting struck in the head, the other in the chest, falling against the booth separators.

Instantly, the door opened, and storm-troopers entered, rushing forwards as screams and shouts erupted from the civilians, the Rebels backing off as they slowly began to get overwhelmed. Scrambling to get up, Obi-Wan turned to face Vader when he felt a shot take his light-sabre out of his hand, making it fly through the air and disappear somewhere in the darkness of the club. Running to where it had disappeared to, Obi-Wan extended his senses and leapt behind a table, searching for it in the darkness, and hoping for some indication as to where it was.

Seeing the metal hilt, and grabbing it, Obi-Wan ignited the blade and leapt up out behind the table, swiping at some troopers and separating heads from bodies, rolling when he landed and turning to face the troopers, when one fired a net-gun at him.

The web of yellow electricity struck Obi-Wan and flung him back against the wall, the stunning current surging through his body and making him fall to his knees. Panting, Obi-Wan reached for his fallen light-sabre, only for it to be kicked out of his reach, and sensed Vader approaching.

With a jerk of the head, Obi-Wan's head was pulled back, Vader grabbing a fistful of his hair, and looked up at the Sith Lord.

"You think I was stupid enough to just let those pirates get away with anything?" He sneered. "Oh no, I have some spies amongst those pirates, and once I am through with you, I'll get my apprentice to activate her homing device, and find the location of them and Luke Skywalker; if he won't turn to the Dark Side, then I will have _no_ choice but to kill him!"


	74. Part V, Chapter 10

_JADE AND SKYWALKER  
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Luke was busy meditating, sitting cross-legged in his cage with his eyes closed as tight as possible, taking small and quick breaths to try and quench the stench that stung at the air, full of waste, blood and death. When he heard something move, no matter how small a noise, he raised a questioning eyebrow, and turned his head towards the source slightly, before focusing back onto facing the same direction, keeping his emotions down and his whole body calm and relaxed. His hands clenched the brown cloth of his breeches at the knees, and he gritted his teeth behind his lips as he began to search deeper into the Force, basking in the light and searching for some sign of relief or comfort from it.

The Force told him that he should focus on trying to find out something else, something that bore great threat towards him in this room, in this whole ship, and it pointed him towards the individuals that were in the cages, _not_ the hunters that were on the bridge. Frowning, Luke searched it deeper, trying to locate the source, and instead found himself looking at a face in the Force.

The eyes- green- and top of the nose were visible, a scar over the right eye and cutting through her eyebrow. They were auburn in colour, a darker red than Obi-Wan's colour in comparison, and her skin was pale in colour, however, her lower face was covered with a scarf, and her hair was hidden from view by a triangular hat of some sort. Keeping his breathing steady, Luke tried to calm himself when he realised that she was the one that haunted his nightmares that bore a massive threat towards him and his family, a powerful being of the Dark Side of the Force. The Force was telling him that very moment that this woman- this _creature-_ was in the ship somewhere, a massive threat to him.

Slowly retreating and opening his eyes, Luke gazed around at the cages that now contained the sleeping individuals that were captured, wondering where it was that they were going that resulted in such a long journey, without the luxury of food, water and refreshers for the prisoners. Running a hand through his blonde hair, Luke gazed towards Mara, who slept before him in the opposite cage, and couldn't help but stare at her.

She was beautiful, yet he could tell she was dangerous; he had heard from some of the older Rebels that beautiful women could be the most dangerous that they had met, and Luke could sense exactly that. Her emerald eyes always shone with some sort of emotion, full of some internal fire that always burned and was never extinguished, and her face...

Luke tried to not heave a breathy sigh; she looked beautiful, as though carved by the Force itself into a being of absolute perfection, an image of feminine beauty. That was how Luke saw her; after all, everything was based upon a person's point of view, and that was how things occurred in the Galaxy. Luke knew that the decisions of one person, however, could have major repercussions for the Galaxy at large, altering events that were meant to happen, but here, he didn't seem to sense any threat coming from Mara.

"Do you always stare?"

Luke blinked, and found himself looking at Mara once again, her emerald eyes piercing into his pale blue eyes, and said. "I was daydreaming, and happened to be looking in your direction."

Mara rolled her eyes, before saying. "Daydreaming... _Riiight."_

Luke rolled his own eyes, before saying to her. "How did you get captured?"

Mara sat up, and hugged her knees to her chest, resting her chin on them. "I was wandering Florrum, trying to find my ship- I was delivering something to a resident- and on the way back, these pirates found me and chased me over the landscape, but they managed to pin me down and stun me. Woke up in this cell."

Luke nodded, before glancing away when he heard the door open into the cage room, a large, dark coloured Trandoshian entering and stalking over the gangway, chuckling in the way that reptiles did, staring at each of them in every cage, his jaws clanking together and his claws curled around his belt tightly, which was covered with weapons of all sorts; Luke wondered suddenly if his light-sabre or Kyle's was on that belt, making it easy for them to break free and take the ship.

As though sensing his thought, the Trandoshian turned, and sneered. "Don't even think about it, Jedi; these cages are specifically designed to hold your kind, and to stop any attempt of escape."

He then turned to address the rest of the prisoners. "We are arriving at our destination; you shall soon be free to do what you please, but do not stray _too _far, my prey. In fact, you won't go far at all!"

His grating laugh sounded through the quiet area, and he approached a control panel that was well hidden in the shadows, making Luke curse slightly under his breath; Obi-Wan had always told Luke to be aware of his surroundings, to focus on what was around him and keep his mind open to what could aid him or not. Keeping his gaze focused on the Trandoshian, Luke watched as the Trandoshian raised a claw towards the panel, gave a sinister grin, and then activated a switch.

Something clicked beneath them, and Luke felt the floor descend underneath him for a moment, before another switch was activated, and, with some screams from the others, the floors opened up and they were falling. Luke braced himself for a quick death, believing he was falling from the sky to the surface many miles below, closing his eyes and reaching out with the Force, ready to join it, when he felt something soft under him when he landed only a few seconds later.

Opening his eyes, Luke pushed himself up onto his knees and stared up at the large ship above him, before staring around at the other captives, praying that he could find some sign of Kyle or Mara, pushing through the confused crowd, ignoring lights that shone down towards them from the ship above their heads, his hair flicking over his face from the engines that roared and blocked out all sound. Seeing the familiar red hair, unruly and untameable, Luke grabbed Mara's arm, and said.

"Stay close to me!"

Mara nodded, and Luke stared around for any sign of Kyle, seeing the brunette rush towards them, worry on his features, and behind him was Shira, who looked a bit frightened.

"Luke, we gotta go," Kyle said, his voice barely a whisper in his ear. "They're aiming for the prisoners... They're going to-."

He didn't finish; the guns ignited, and Luke grabbed hold of Mara's hand and ran, leading Kyle and Shira towards a forest he had spotted just through the darkness, hearing the screams of the prisoners that had been caught in the firing, trying to augment his speed with the Force, pushing aside branches and leaves as they entered the forest, not stopping, not caring as his body was pumped full of adrenaline, activating his fight/flight motions, keeping him running without stopping.

Finally, Luke had to stop, his legs now strained and coughed, his throat dry as he heard Mara fall to her knees, breathing heavy as well, and the crunch of branches as Kyle and Shira appeared, also panting violently; aside from scratches on their faces where the branches had caught them, and the tearing of some of their sleeves and breeches when they had clipped sharp branches. Staring around, Luke searched for somewhere that they could use for residence for the night, hearing the crackling of animals nearby, along with a snarl as some predatory animal moved in the bushes.

Luke felt exposed without his light-sabre, his complete and utter reliance now on the Force and his hand-to-hand combat skills. Shifting uncomfortably, Luke raised his gaze towards the massive tree that was behind Kyle as he rested against it, before his eyes spotted something as they trailed over the branches towards another tree, which had a large open area inside the tree. Carefully, Luke climbed up, the others hesitantly following, and swung himself onto the large branch, carefully yet elegantly moving over the branch and towards the opening, pausing when he heard a twig crack and glancing around to see Shira had stepped on one by accident. Rolling his eyes, Luke approached the opening, and stumbled in, glancing around at the moss covered opening with a frown.

It wasn't much, but it had to do.

Mara appeared beside him, and said. "Nice place."

"Best I could come up with," Luke admitted, venturing further into the cave. "Come on; let's clear some of this flora, and then rest."

"Since when were you in charge," Shira retorted.

"I'm not," Luke answered back firmly. "I just happen to be thinking of what we should do! We need some place to sleep, some place to rest up every night, and unless you want to nap in the opening, you can be my guest."

"I agree with Luke," Kyle said, surprising him. "We need to hide away at night, and leave this place early morning should the Hunters come after us; best we rest up just in case the pirates come after us, and we have the energy to run once they have found us."

"Who says we should run?" Shira demanded. "Why not fight?"

"You do that, Imperial, and you'll get killed once you realised you are outnumbered," Kyle argued. "Don't try anything rash until we know what we are dealing with."

Luke sighed, and ran a hand through his hair, making it stick up at the fringe, before gazing out and looking at the stars that were now emerging from behind the clouds, wondering whether his Master was searching for them that very moment, praying to the Force that help was on its way, or if there was a way for him to get a signal out. Frowning, Luke gazed towards Kyle, and asked.

"Can you see any indication of which system we are in?"

Kyle shook his head. "It's difficult without seeing some indication, like some some sort of monument that helps identify the planet; unless they made sure of that, destroying any indication of it."

Luke sighed, before saying. "That's our first objective; finding some way of contacting for help."

Kyle nodded, before yawning. "Yes, well, I am going to sleep; don't you try anything, Imperial."

Shira gave a sneer, and Luke followed Kyle as well, the older boy making an indication that they should keep on one side of the area, and away from the Imperial "threat" that had clung onto them. Sitting down, Luke gazed towards Kyle as the brunette boy settled down, moving some moss out the way and throwing it towards the entrance.

"Kyle?" Luke said.

"What is it," Kyle demanded.

"What did I exactly do wrong for you to hate me so much?" Luke replied. "You just started bullying me and my friends. Why?"

"Must we talk about this now?" Kyle retorted.

"Erm, yes," Luke argued. "Because if we are going to be stuck on this rock for a long time, we need to work together to survive the Hunters and survive the wilderness. So, grow up, and tell me what I've done wrong."

Kyle glared at him, and Luke sensed the anger from him. "You want to know? Well then, maybe because everyone gives you so much attention, so much praise. You're just really gifted, Luke, and I hate that because every time I try to impress my own Master, all I get from him is that you train and study hard, never stopping for a second, learn things quickly and never forget things unless you gotta; I heard rumours amongst the Masters about you too, about what they believe your _destiny_ is, and it irritates me completely."

"What destiny?" Luke demanded.

"Oh, so Master Kenobi decided to not tell you," Kyle retorted. "Missed that bit, didn't he? Well, here's what they think about you, and I quote; "_He is a powerful teenager, Obi-Wan, he will be a Jedi Master at a young age, maybe even much more. Maybe, he'll lead the Order itself."" _

Luke was frozen in place, staring at the ground in disbelief, trying to understand and even believe what Kyle had said; was this his destiny? To rebuild the Jedi Order alongside the other teenagers that were being trained, to go out and find new students, rebuild the Academy and bring the numbers of the Jedi to their former glory, maybe even more? He knew there were two ranks of leadership of the Jedi Order; the Master and the Grand Master, titles that were respected and only bestowed upon the wisest and most powerful of Jedi. The Master of the Order being the one in control of the Council, and the Grand Master being the leader of all the Jedi, the one that they looked up to for guidance and leadership, to protect them and be one of the first Jedi to enter battle and handle political matters.

He couldn't handle that, he wasn't _sure_ he could handle it, all that responsible of a whole Jedi Order. Maybe, he should just stick with being a Jedi in all honesty, even being a Jedi Knight would suffice for Luke Skywalker; he didn't like all that attention.

"Listen, Kyle," Luke said gently. "I swear; I never knew anything about this. I never knew that they were choosing me for that, and I don't want it either."

"We'll see about that," Kyle murmured.

"Kyle, we need to put the past behind us," Luke whispered. "We can't let it get the better of us, and we need to work together here, especially with the Imperial we have here; we won't be able to survive without them, and they can't survive without us either."

"I guess," Kyle then smirked. "What you think about Mara? You are eying her up, Skywalker, so don't deny it."

"It isn't going to work," Luke replied, and then sighed. "She probably has a boyfriend back home, and once this mess is sorted, we can't remain in contact anyway, because of the Rebellion, and that'll stop us from even sending messages to one another."

Kyle smiled, before saying. "You never know, and I can sense she has the hots for you as well; I can sense it."

"Shut up, Kyle," Luke retorted, and lay down, turning his back towards him, staring at the wall of the tree with a glare, and thinking over what Kyle had just said.

Nothing would happen between him and Mara; they would be friends- if possible- and nothing more would become of it at all. Yet, he couldn't help but have a feeling deep inside him that the Force was pushing him and Mara close towards one another, and that already, they had a strong connection that would last a life-time. However, regardless of that notion, he was wary about her and the other girl, Shira, as though there was something... Off. He knew Shira was an Imperial sympathiser, and already, he felt the Force giving him another warning, which he had thought would have disappated as soon as they left the ship.

However, judging by the alarm bells that the Force was giving him that moment, telling him that he should be wary about the pair of individuals that were sleeping just across the opening they were now in. Glancing past Kyle and towards Mara and Shira- the pair now remarkably asleep in such a short space of time- Luke closed his eyes, and let the Force push him into sleep.

Opposite them, Shira stirred once she sensed Luke had finally succumbed to unconsciousness, and raised her head, eyes now a fiery yellow colour as she allowed the Dark Side to consume her for a moment, reminding her of her mission, and heaved a sigh, resting her head back down against the ground when she felt it; reaching up, she gently pulled some of the skin off her jaw to reveal the metal underneath, the gears clanking as she ground her teeth together.

She was starting to become Lumiya now, her powers now starting to grow faster than before, and Shira could tell that the Dark Side wanted her to be patient, and wait for the opportune moment to complete her mission, and then she would ascend and become more than just Darth Vader's apprentice; maybe, one day, she would be the most powerful Sith that would have ever lived, a slayer of Jedi, a mastermind of the Dark Side.


	75. Part V, Chapter 11

_THE HUNT BEGINS  
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_"You killed her... You killed her..."_

_"I did, Luke Skywalker; I stabbed your heart and ripped it out, laughing as I heard you scream in the Force in disbelief, in grief and suffering, in denial. I must admit it was a most joyful sound, hearing you despair at her passing; you must have loved your beloved very much, and now my revenge is complete. I have made you suffer how I have suffered."_

_The snap of an emerald light-sabre, and the power beam ignited, humming underneath him as he held it to the side, ready to pounce, ready to maim._

_Ready to kill._

_"Why couldn't you have just left us well enough alone? Why must you destroy my happiness, threaten everything? I didn't know-."_

_"Didn't know I was there?" The woman took a step forwards, a scarf on her lower face. "Of course you did; your precious Force told you I was there, didn't it? You're just looking for excuses. I was ready to leave the Empire, and then you just made my claim against the Rebels stronger, by blasting me from the sky."_

_She reached up, and removed the scarf, revealing a torn jaw at the left, and on her cheek, metal visible underneath. He shuddered only slightly, now use to it, yet still in some way not; he could still hardly believe that it was him who had done that, who had maimed her and made her into a machine. Why would someone do that? Of course, only the son of Vader could do so; hurt an individual beyond recognition like he had done with Lumiya._

_"And so, you killed the one person I loved to put your sickening point across that you would do anything to hurt me," He croaked, his throat tightening with the grief, a lump building up and pushing against his Adam's apple. "You would make sure of that, you twisted piece of scrap."_

_That made her flick the tendrils threateningly. "I would do anything to make you suffer. Any time-."_

Luke jumped awake, breathing heavily and sweat pouring down his skin and soaking his clothes. His eyes darted around as he raised his head, his heart pounding violently in his chest and his whole body shaking with the fear of what he had seen. Gazing around at Kyle, Luke shakily stood up, and stretched himself, before moving around the older apprentice and towards the entrance to the tree, glancing briefly at the two girls before quickening his pace. He stood at the entrance, leaning casually against the side, and stared at the horizon that he managed to see through the thick foliage before him, wondering where they were exactly. Resting his forehead against the bark, Luke closed his eyes and let the Force flow through him, trying to get it to calm himself down, and only succeeding in getting another warning signal through the energy about someone threatening nearby; the dream was no doubt another indication of that threat, trying to tell him that he had possibly met an enemy that would not settle for anything less than his death.

Heaving a shaky breath, Luke reopened his eyes and glanced back at the others, before gently leaping down and landing on the ground in a crouch, wondering if he could find any food to gather for the four of them. Maybe, if he recognised a unique fruit that was native only to one system, he could be able to figure out where they were as well.

Of course, that was a lot of "if" and "maybe", so he would have to focus more on feeding and surviving right now than anything else.

Rolling his eyes, Luke moved slowly and cautiously, through the overgrown ground flora, darting to hide underneath a decent sized tree when he heard a twig snap behind him, gazing around to try and find the source, before he Force-leapt up towards a large branch of a tree, crouching behind some moss and peering down, eyes searching for the source. Another twig snapped, and he curled his fingers into his palms, turning his hands into fists, and waited to pounce on the person that was following him, the Force becoming more alert to him as he extended his senses and found nothing but living-energy, feeling each heart-beat of the animals around him, and the energy of many that were imprisoned on this rock because of the pirates.

Now, he sensed the stalker behind him, and whirled around, his fist coming around in a punch only to be stopped by a palm. Not realising, not caring who it was, Luke grabbed their arm and twisted it, hearing a cry and pushed his free elbow against their neck, trying to force them back against the trunk to pin them, choke them, only to find their knee rammed into his stomach, and his footing starting to slip, him and the individual falling to the ground. Flipping and landing on his feet, Luke's boots slipped and he looked up to see the individual fall, pushing their hands out, eyes wide.

It was Mara.

Luke's eyes widened, and he raised his hands, slowing her fall with the Force, and Mara landed on him with a cry, Luke wincing at her weight on him. Groaning, Luke coughed, before saying.

"So, _you_ have been following me, Miss Jade?"

Mara raised her head from his shoulder, staring down at him, her fiery hair falling from behind her ears and framing her face. She gazed into his eyes, mesmerised by how blue they were; as blue as the skies of Naboo, so much that she swore that she could _see_ the planet in them, wondering if the connection, if what she had read up about Skywalker in the training, had reflected the homeplanet of his mother. All she knew about Skywalker's parents were that his Father was Anakin Skywalker, and his mother was a native of Naboo.

How ironic then, was it, to have his eyes reflect a similar feature to that of his maternal side, seeing as he looked so much like Anakin Skywalker.

"Erm... Mara?" Luke finally said. "Can you..."

"Sorry," Mara got off, and Luke winced as he sat up, rubbing the back of his head, having banged it when she fell on him. "I just wanted to see where you were going early this morning."

"Well, trying to find food for starters," Luke answered. "I got wary when I heard you breaking some twigs earlier, so snuck up in the tree."

"Wait," Mara said, frowning. "That wasn't me; I was in the tree, keeping an eye on you just in case. I know you need to keep hidden if on an aggressive area; move like shadows."

"Then, if that wasn't you," Luke's eyes widened. "Who was it?"

A blaster shot sounded, and Luke shoved Mara out the way, jumping and landing on the ground, glancing around to see a grey Trandoshian standing with a pair of pistols in his claws, aiming straight for the pair of teenagers, a grin on his features.

Luke clenched his fists, and turned to face him, Mara struggling to get up, having been pushed too harshly and colliding with the tree. The Trandoshian aimed for her, and Luke dived in front, bringing his hands back and expelling a Force push, throwing the Trandoshian off where he stood and onto the ground. Darting forwards, Luke ducked a pistol shot, and twisted his body to dodge another, before leaping high into the air and high-kicking the Trandoshian in the face, wincing at his foot as it collided with the hard scale hide that covered him. The Trandoshian hissed, and tried to hit Luke with his pistol, only for Luke to duck low, and balance on one hand, kicking out at the lizard's ankles and making it stagger back, but laugh.

"Your hand-to-hand combat doesn't work with my kind, Jedi brat!"

Luke gritted his teeth, and aimed a punch at the Trandoshian's softer scales at the stomach, only for the lizard to grab Luke by the ankle, and throw him against a tree, aiming a pistol straight towards him. Luke slumped against the tree, dazed and wincing at his head as it pounded furiously from the hit, and looked up at the Trandoshian as he came closer, pointing one of his pistols towards his forehead, a grin appearing on its lips, revealing the needle sharp teeth that were inside, ready to clatter in victory when the pistol fired.

Gripping a rock just under his hand, Luke braced himself to strike, when Mara appeared out of his left, a knife in her hand and sinking into the arm of the Trandoshian, making it screech and pull away. She slashed, the knife held in a reverse grip, and it caught the front of the clothing, the Trandoshian leaping away, hissing in a threatening way, before pulling some chains from his belt, flicking them into a whip-like appendage. Eyes widening, Luke darted forwards, ready to jump before Mara in case they struck her, as the Trandoshian threw the chains, the ends curling around Mara's wrist and Luke's own, clicking shut and binding the pair together. Wincing, Luke and Mara tried to break free, only to fail drastically and collide with one another, the Trandoshian using his uninjured hand to grab his pistol and aim for the pair, ready to open fire.

"Together!" Luke told Mara. "Move together!"

Mara nodded, and they ran forwards, Luke grabbing her hand, and using the Force, catapulted them both through the air, Mara high-kicking the Trandoshian's uninjured claw, followed by Luke kicking with both feet into his chest, sending him falling backwards, bent over double. Mara twisted, and Luke winced as the chain twisted his own arm behind his back, but made him duck as the Trandoshian swiped at him with the claw, Mara landing on top of the Trandoshian. Falling to the ground in a pile, Luke raised the rock and rammed it against the lizard's head, knocking some scales off and the Trandoshian clean out, the grey creature lying motionless before them.

Scrambling off, the pair forgot they were bound and yelped in unison when their wrists were scrapped with the chains, Luke groaning and rubbing the redness that had formed as a result. Gazing at Mara, Luke spotted her in a similar situation, staring at the chain with disgust.

"Any idea how to get this off?" He asked.

Mara began picking at where the end of the chain connected with the rest of it, and said. "We need a key, and my knife is too large to pick the lock."

She sighed, and sheathed the knife in her boot, before straightening, and pulling Luke towards the fallen Trandoshian, searching for some sign of a key on his belt or in the pockets of his breeches or jacket, only to scowl when she didn't locate one. Standing up, she looked at Luke, and asked.

"Can't you use the Force to pick the lock?"

"To do that, I need knowledge of the mechanism behind it," Luke answered bitterly. "And I don't; we're stuck like this until we find some help, or someone that knows how to release us."

Mara sighed heavily, and glanced around, her eyes searching for some sign of Shira or Kyle, or worse the Hunters. Her emerald eyes ascended towards the sun that had now risen higher in the sky, and she bit her bottom lip, worry now crossing her features; Luke instantly knew that the Trandoshian they had just struck down would soon be accompanied by others, and if he was starting early, they- the Hunters- would soon be wondering where he was, worried for their comrade's safety while out and alone. Running a hand through his hair, Luke closed his eyes and focused on Kyle's signature, sending out a distress towards him, only to be answered quickly by the older apprentice, but strangely, he sensed something from _Mara_ as well; was she Force sensitive like him? She seemed to be; her signature burned bright to him, yet was tainted by something, as though she had done evil, darkness in her life that had torn a once innocent person into pieces, but she had some feeling inside her that made Luke believe that she was innocent, caught up in a mess she shouldn't be in.

Instantly, he heard a twig snap, and turned around to face the source, only to see Shira leap down effortlessly and land on the trunk above his head, staring down at him, her light green eyes piercing his own, a sudden sinister spark inside them. Luke shuddered slightly, sensing Mara approached him from behind, but felt the chain tighten around his wrist...

"Hey! Luke! Where you been?"

He glanced around to see Kyle, and the other Jedi jumped down, grinning at the chain that bound Luke and Mara together. Rolling his eyes, Luke indicated the Trandoshian, before saying.

"He attacked, and used this chain on us; we can't seem to get it off of our wrists, and he doesn't have a key."

Kyle examined the lock on the part that was around Mara's wrist, and frowned. "Have you tried twisting your hand through the noose?"

"Have you seen our wrists?" Mara retorted, rolling her eyes and shaking her head at him. "We can't break free; we need something that can slide our wrists free, something slimy."

Luke held up his bound wrist, and Mara glared when he did so, her own wrist following his movement, and peered at the lock; if he could just find out what the mechanism was like, maybe he could use the Force to pick the lock free? He sighed heavily; only now, did he realise how much he had actually relied on his light-sabre to give him what he needed, how he was to accomplish everything he faced. That was worrying, for if he ever lost his weapon when he graduated, he would be in trouble, and won't know what to do if it became so, but he had best not think of that right now; if he did, he would not be able to focus on what needed done, and that was to find a way for him and Mara to break free of their bonds.

"Let's get moving first before that Trandoshian wakes up," He said. "And away from the Hunters; let's head inwards towards the forest, and see if we can locate others that can help."

"Good idea," Shira interrupted. "And how are we going to accomplish that with you and Mara bound? They'll be able to follow your tracks!"

"Then we keep to the trees," Luke answered, before looking at Mara. "You ready? Let's climb up."

Mara nodded, and Luke followed her towards the tree that Shira was perched on, Kyle bringing up the rear. Indicating for Mara to go first, Luke hoisted her up, before getting a firm grip of a swollen section of the tree, and climbing up close behind her, Shira reaching down and taking Mara's hand, pulling her up, before quickly reaching for Luke's own hand.

As soon as the skin touched his, Luke shuddered and thought he saw... _Someone else..._

He shook it out his head, and grasped her hand, letting her pull him up and rolling beside Mara, Kyle leaping up with the Force, landing beside them. Clambering up together, Luke and Mara glanced at Shira and Kyle, before the four of them moved over the trunk and towards the thicker part of the forest. Glancing back at the Trandoshian, Luke sighed sadly, before wincing when Mara tugged his wrist with the chain, moving quickly to keep up with her and the other three, keeping his outer exterior, and his signature, as calm as possible.


	76. Part V, Chapter 12

_A TWIN BOND  
><em>

Luke had never felt so tired and irritated before in his life; being dragged along and strapped to a girl that he now realised preferred to resort to verbal abuse to get her way was not his idea of fun. Sure, Mara was a nice looking girl, but he could tell- deep down- that the Imperial training that she had underwent had made her even nastier than what he had originally thought.

He came to the conclusion that Mara was probably an Imperial by the way she interacted so easily with Shira; the pair chatted and sniggered together as though they were friends, and sometimes agreed with something that they were whispering to one another. Starting to feel frustrated about the whole chained-up situation, Luke turned his gaze from Mara and towards the sky, trying to find the stars and therefore which direction they happened to be going in; judging by the brightness, he had to assume that they were heading northwards, towards the star and into the jungle.

"I hate to break it to you," Mara sounded, and the group paused, everyone's gaze turned towards her. "But I need the bathroom."

Luke flushed, now nervous, and glanced down at the chain around their wrists, before up at her. "Well, we are in a bit of bother right now; can't you hold it in?"

"Absolutely not," Mara shifted uncomfortably. "Seriously."

"Just my luck," Luke muttered under his breath, and looked around for somewhere secluded, and where it was private. Indicating for Kyle and Shira to remain where they were, Luke dragged Mara towards an area where the trunks connected and were thick, and pushed her around them, turning and curving the chain around the trunk. "Hurry up."

He felt the glare Mara gave him through the trees, and looked upwards again towards the sky. Sighing heavily, Luke wished there was some way for him to contact his Master for aid through the Force, but the chances of that occurring through a training bond was absolutely minimal, and he hardly had a strong bond with any other individual in the Rebel Alliance, and the others were not sensitive at all.

Yet, inside, he had a sudden natural instinct to call for one individual; the Princess of Alderaan. It was growing inside him, the Force, threatening to spill out and expose him completely in the Force, and he felt as though there was nothing he could do, no matter how hard he tried to mask, the signature was starting to appear in the Force.

Panicking, Luke tried to bring his shields up, only to find, remarkably, the Force do so automatically, only opening one area of his shields towards whatever it was trying to do, whoever it was that it wanted for Luke to contact. Closing his eyes, the Jedi apprentice found himself drifting, almost in a trance, and he whispered.

"Leia... Leia, hear me..."

He opened his eyes slowly, and instead of the planet he was seeing, instead of the trees that were before him, with the flora and the signatures of the living organisms that were around him pulsing towards him, he saw someone else.

She was sitting in an office, grand and highly furnished, looking over a City that had streams of traffic, and a darkening sky. The young woman wore a red a long red dress with beige drapes over the front and back, with her brown hair curled and pulled back in an elaborate Senatorial style, her fringe falling over her face.

"Leia..." He repeated.

Leia perked up, her eyes wide and surprise on her face, staring around the office for the source, before shrugging and returning to a piece of paper that was before her, taping her stylis against the desk, looking it over.

"Leia... Hear me," Luke whispered.

Her head shot up again, and she whispered. "Luke?"

"Leia... Close your eyes..."

Leia did so, Luke saw her, and then, he was suddenly speaking to her, as though she was standing just a few feet away from him in a white mist. He raised his hand, and she did so as well, but something was stopping them from touching each other's palms; a shield of some sort, a bubble that extended with them. Luke knew why; with the distance they were towards one another, there was a shield between them, stopping them from touching and maybe even hearing one another easily.

"_Leia,"_ Luke whispered.

"_Luke! Luke, are you alright? Everyone is worried sick about you and Kyle!"_ Leia said in worry, her brown eyes widened in reflection of her emotion. "_Where are you?"_

_"I don't know; we're on some sort of planet that is heavily populated with tropical forests,"_ Luke replied. "_When we were taken, we were knocked out and placed into cages without being told where we were going."_

_"I understand,"_ Leia said. "_Is there not any way for you to send some sort of signal through the Force, or to the Rebels?"_

_"Through the Force, maybe, if I can enhance the signal," _Luke answered. "_I don't know how close we are to the fleet."_

_"Well, I was taught this technique should anything happen to me..." _Leia's eyes widened. "_Maybe I could enhance this connection to a Jedi nearby, and they could trace you?"_

_"Good idea; I'll keep the shields open,"_ Luke said. "_Until you send me a signal that you have located a Jedi; I'm fine, Leia. Don't worry about me yet, alright?"_

_"I'll... I'll try not to,"_ Leia said in worry. _"Please, be careful."_

_"I will."_

Luke began to pull away, and the mist and Leia disappeared, revealing him standing back on the planet he was now imprisoned on, with Mara tugging at the chain in frustration, standing before him. Her emerald eyes were flames, burning with anger, as she said.

"Have you stopped day dreaming now, or can we finally get moving?"

Luke glared and said. "Let's move then, and head back to the other two."

The pair moved in silence, each trying to walk faster than the other, refusing to look at one another in case it envoked a response that would cause more problems than before; Luke was soon relieved to see Kyle there, and increased his pace, pulling Mara along towards him, and giving him a look that said that the pair needed to talk.

Kyle nodded, and said. "Let's move on; it's nearly complete darkness, and we need to find a place to rest for the night and hide away, just in case the Hunters or any animals appear that could threaten us."

"Good plan, but where?" Shira asked, as they began to move over the large trunk that they were still on. "Our large spaced trunk was the best one!"

"Well, let's find something similar," Kyle said. "There's no doubt there are other trees like that around as well, considering the scale of the forest, which means we will find one shortly."

Luke nodded, and urged Mara onwards, trying to quicken their pace, although he could tell Shira was lagging behind, gazing around just in case there was anything following them, yet Luke felt as though something was wrong with her, and turned to face Shira, stopping and making Mara jerk against the chain, which he ignored- he was becoming used to it.

"Shira, is something wrong?" He asked.

"Nothing," Shira answered. "Nothing is wrong. Why do you ask?"

"Because you look like you've seen a ghost or something," Luke pointed out. "And I can sense your nervousness from a mile off. Relax; we're safe at night, and I highly doubt there's anything dangerous out just now."

"You say that like you're use to this," Shira said, rolling her eyes. "Get kidnapped often, Skywalker?"

"Nope, just keeping positive in the current dilemma we are in."

The group continued on, Kyle gazing around for a large tree that could sport a large opening for the four of them to crawl into and rest for the night. Althought, Luke was wary, the reason being that he was now strapped to a potential Sith apprentice, and with her and Shira being very comfortable with one another, he can't help but wonder if Shira was also a Sith or an Imperial agent, tasked with some way of slaying Jedi so that they could both ascend in the ranks of the Imperials and become, possibly, one of the Emperor's top agents. Even just thinking about him made the skin on Luke crawl in fear and digust towards that thought of the Emperor; he didn't understand why anyone would do what the Emperor has done, imprison and humiliate anything that wasn't human, that didn't share his belief over a perfect Empire, this so-called New Order he had. For Luke, the sooner they broke through, the quicker they would get to the Core and onwards to Coruscant.

Hearing Kyle climb a trunk before them, Luke braced himself for a climb as well, watching the older apprentice move quickly and effectively up towards something that he had spotted, eyes piercing around for any indication of where they were. Gazing towards the skies, Luke tried to focus again on Leia, on that opened part of the shields he had allowed so that she could locate them through a more experienced Jedi; he wondered deep down why Leia never opted for Jedi training. Maybe, it was because she focused more on the politics than anything else, and was only lenient when her Father convinced her to pursue some self-defence, learning to wield a light-sabre should she need to, how to close her mind off around the Emperor and escape if she was discovered, but that was about all she learned. In honesty, Luke had never felt closer to anyone than Leia, yet, despite their meetings at the Rebel Bases she came to inspect, he had a feeling that they knew one another for longer than he could remember.

He had a strange notion that deep down, Leia and him were actually closer than what he believed, that the Force was trying to indicate something to him about her.

"Okay, we're getting there," Kyle sounded, leaping down and landing before them. "There's a massive gap in the trunk of the tree I have climbed up just now, and it's deeper, so we could curl more against the sides and remain hidden from view should they have ways of checking the trees in pods or something."

His eyes skimmed towards Mara and Shira, a sudden wariness in them, before holding out his hand. "Come on, Luke; you're moving first. Up you go."

Luke nodded, and jerked the chain, tugging Mara along, and grabbing hold of the trunk, pushing his foot and hand where Kyle had obviously dented the wood, finding it easier to climb that way than use an untouched part of the tree, glancing back when he felt weight on his wrist as Mara struggled to climb similarly to him, almost jerking him down. Rolling his eyes, Luke continued on, trying to ignore the pain his wrist was in, and muttered to himself.

"At this rate, I won't _have_ a hand left."

"Don't tempt fate!" Mara called from beneath him. "It bites you in the backside at some point of your life."

Luke sighed, and saw the gap that Kyle had located, quickening his pace and making Mara yelp at the sudden jerking of her wrist, while Kyle leapt up and swung on a branch, flipping and landing in the gap, looking down at them and lowering a hand, which Luke grabbed. With a massive bout of strength, the other apprentice pulled him up, and then Mara followed, Luke grasping the chain as a result, making sure she was stable, and with a wince, pulled her up and over the side, Shira climbing after her and swinging in, sighing heavily.

Luke panted a bit before Mara, and looked up at her, seeing her in the same state.

"You alright?" He asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm fine," Mara answered, looking up into his eyes. "Thanks."

"No problem," Luke replied, smiling at her, which she returned. Their eyes met, and for a moment, Luke felt some sort of _connection_ pass between them, as though the Force wanted him and her to bond through it, to share something that was wanted by the Force. Flushing a bit, Luke managed to tear his gaze away from her and towards Kyle, getting up. "Well, let's get some sleep; long trek tomorrow as well. No doubt we will have some trouble as well."

"Absolutely," Shira agreed. "At the rate we were going today, I'll be surprised if we don't meet any Hunters bar that Trandoshian earlier. The sooner we get to the middle of the island, the better."

Luke nodded, and made to head towards Kyle, when Mara refused to move, the chain clanking and tightening between them. Restraining himself from rolling his eyes, Luke sat against the bark wall just under the hole with Kyle, and stared at his knees, while Mara and Shira sat elsewhere.

"She likes you," Kyle whispered in his ear. "Mara, I mean."

"Yeah, right," Luke replied, shaking his head. "She's an Imperial, along with Shira; what are the chances of that actually happening? Me and her?"

"You never know," Kyle glanced towards the girls as they curled against the wall, the chain resting along the wall to stop any light glancing on it and revealing their location. "Maybe, when we defeat the Empire, there might be a lot that could defect, and she could be one of the firsts. If she loves you, that is."

"I doubt it," Luke turned his head away. "She doesn't feel that way about me, Kyle."

"How do you know?"

Luke started; how did he know? How did he know if Mara loved him or not, without asking or checking first? He believed it was just a teenage crush right now, some silly little crush he had towards her and nothing more; once they were rescue, it would dissapate, and they would never see each other again unless it was on the battle-field.

Yet, why did he feel saddened by that? Why did he feel as though he would miss her when they do finally part?

"I don't know," Luke replied quietly.

"Just... Be careful who you give your heart to," Kyle whispered, throwing a look over at them. "Something is off about them, Luke; and I would hate it if you suffered because of a mis-calculation on both our heads. If we don't be careful, then we might as well be dead Jedi by not the Hunters' hands, but by the Imperials instead."


	77. Part V, Chapter 13

_SKIRMISH  
><em>

Morning came, and Luke raised his head, gazing towards the sunlight that filtered into the area of the opening in the tree, and blinked, rubbing his eyes before glancing around, staring for some indication as to what time it was in the day. The others were already waking up, and Luke stood and stretched, before peering out the area and into the forest; already, he was beginning to get wary about being around, without a plan, and without any indication of this unknown region of space. Steepling his fingers together and pushing his palms above his head and stretching, Luke heard Mara grunt at his action, her wrist being jerked out from under her head and making it hit the ground.

Her emerald eyes stared at him, a fire in them, irritated at what he had just done, before her eyes also saw the day-light, worry now inside them.

"We have to get moving," She said, and began to shake Shira. "Wake up, Shira!"

Luke turned to Kyle, and began shaking him as well, trying to get the brunette Padawan to wake, fear and worry also coursing through his body; they had over-slept, and were now vulnerable. They had to get moving before they were discovered in this perfect area, where they would be cornered effectively without any means of escape from their night-time haven. When Kyle had finally opened his eyes and got up, Luke pulled Mara and the others towards the entrance, and carefully began the descent down, Mara following his movements, and landed on the thick branch.

"If we don't get this chain off, I'm chewing through my hand," Mara muttered under her breath.

Luke sighed, and glanced around, now unsure which way they should head for; without the stars and with the sun hidden by the thicker flora in the inlands, they had lost their bearings very easily. Running a hand through his hair, Luke gazed around, chewing his lip, before saying to the others.

"I can't find my bearings; we've lost where the sun is, and with it being daylight, the stars can't help us here."

"It's obvious we can't find the others," Mara replied. "We need a new strategy."

They fell silent, staring at one another and then the ground, thinking for a moment. Luke clenched his fist, frowning as he tried to think on what to do, how to proceed with this situation; what did Obi-Wan say to him, what did his Master say in how to survive when he was caught in a dilemma such as this one?

That was the problem; he _hadn't_ been taught how to approach this, how to solve it, and that's what worried him. They were on their own, with only their Force powers and hand-to-hand combat to help them, and anything they had learned to give them a boost in that survival. Unless Luke relied on his instincts, and drew on his training to help him and the others survive this mess they had got into; that's all they had to rely on right now, and he had no choice.

"I think it's time we made a stand," Shira sounded through his thoughts, and everyone turned to face her. "If we can't find anyone else, it probably means that, regrettably, they have been hunted; we need to take their ship and get out of this system and towards the nearest of any side. We can then send relief ships to collect any survivors and arrest any pirates that remain."

"And let the Empire enslave any non-human that is around?" Kyle retorted. "Count me out of the Empire systems."

"The Rebels are no better," Shira argued back. "Do you have a better idea?"

"No, but I don't think relying on the Empire is the best mode of action right now!"

"Guys, listen," Mara raised her hands and stepped between them, placing herself between them and staring at each of them in turn. "I like the idea; we can go our separate ways afterwards, and if any of the non-humans want to leave with you, they can, unless they have family in the Empire sectors. However, this poses a problem; we have no idea where their ship is, and how they get around!"

"They must have a base somewhere," Luke interjected, stepping forth. "Some sort of transportation that keeps them at a higher advantage to the "game" they have on the island, unless they are faced with the problem of Force- sensitives. They may need some special weapons for us in order to bring us down as well."

"You have a point," Mara nodded. "That explains how they managed to capture us all easily."

"Could they have been supplied by any Black Marketeteers around the Galaxy?" Kyle asked. "That could have manufactured weapons for Jedi? Criminals can outsmart Force-sensitives sometimes."

"Yes, it can happen," Shira replied. "The Empire has been trying to stop them for a while."

They fell into silence, thinking over what they had just discussed, before Luke broke the silence and said.

"We need to get this chain off first, and then find the base or ship they use, and send a distress signal; the sooner the better."

"There has to be some way to get _this_," Mara brandished the chain. "Off, and soon, before I end up cutting my hand off in desperation."

Luke sighed, before running a hand through his hair, and pausing; he had kept his Force essence stretched so that Leia had contact with him, and if any Jedi was near her, they could locate him through the Force with ease.

Gathering himself close, Luke closed his eyes and tried to think about what to do, before hearing something snap nearby. Instantly, his eyes opened, and he gazed at the others, waving them quiet, and pressing a finger to his lips.

Kyle heard the noise, and nodded, crouching low and leading the others as such towards the edge of the trunk, staring over towards the source of the noise. Their eyes scanned the flora and the trees, senses stretched out to check whether the individuals coming were any threat towards them, and only saw two shadows, coming closer towards where they were perched.

It was the Trandoshian and Zygerrian that had also been captured and shared the ship with them, both staring around for obviously some indication that others were around. Feeling hope rise, Luke made to get up and opened his mouth to call for them, when Mara clapped a hand over his mouth and shook her head. The indication in her eyes was instantly understood by Luke, and sadness filled his own, before he looked down at the pair, crouching low against the trunk, following the others, and stared around at the canopy of the trees around them, searching for the threat that they now knew was coming closer.

A blaster shot sounded, and the Trandoshian cried out, falling forwards, whereas the Zygerrian hissed and spun around, two Rodians emerging from the bush with a pair of pistols in each hand, aimed straight for her chest. Luke rammed his eyes closed and turned his head away, as the finishing shots sounded, and the convulsions of death shattered through his core. Hearing Mara's shaking breaths, he opened his eyes and saw her with her hands over her face, Shira also shaking as she stared wide-eyed at what had happened. Reaching over cautiously, Luke placed a hand on Mara's shoulder, before drawing her into a hug, soothing her with the Force as she struggled to silence a cry, her face buried in his shoulder. Gazing at Shira, Luke felt a tear fall, before glancing around at Kyle for advice, on what they should do, only to find the other apprentice was still, pale and in shock.

A buzzing sound suddenly erupted into existence, and Luke gazed upwards to see what appeared to be a hover-pod descending. Instantly, he knew with growing dread where it was heading, and gave a gasp as the pilot looked over the edge...

And saw them.

Instantly, the pilot yelled, and the Rodians down below looked up and saw the four teenagers above them, and immediately raised their pistols.

"Jedi!" One shouted, before opening fire.

Luke pushed Mara out the way and the shot veered where the pair had been embracing, striking the tree behind. Grabbing Mara's hand, Luke called for them to split and raced off, pulling Mara along at break-neck speed, hearing the Rodians bark orders to the pilot, and to each other, the crunching of branches following Luke and Mara as they ran. The only problem was their bonds; the chain stopped the pair from moving freely, from separating and confusing their pursuers.

Gritting his teeth, Luke leapt through the air, Mara following, and landed in a crouch, heading towards where the trunk sharply fell into a steep drop, grabbing her and lifting her a bit, barking for her to hold onto him. Mara wrapped her arms around his neck from behind, doing so, and Luke jumped, skidding down the branch, using the Force to steady himself and forsee what came next. He heard the cry of disbelief from the pursuing Rodian, but kept going, ducking as a branch came towards him, and grabbing a loose one as he passed, holding onto it as he and Mara saw the end of the branch come closer.

"Luke..." Mara started, but he grabbed a branch above him and swung them into the air, straightening his body before curving his spine, flipping so that he faced the Rodian as it leapt into the air from behind, and throwing the branch with added momentum from the Force.

With a strangled cry, the Rodian was impaled, and fell to the ground limp, Luke glancing behind him when he saw another branch coming closer. Eyes widening, Luke told Mara to release him- to her horror- and steadied _her_ with the Force, making her land safely on the branch top, but for him to crash against it and fall, dangling unconscious by her wrist, connected only because of the chain. Mara pulled him up instantly, and laid him down, checking each and every part of him for anything broken, and only concluding that he had knocked himself out, however, she could hardly believe what he had done; he had sacrificed himself, making him prone to severe injury, for her, an Imperial. True, he was fine, but he had done something that meant she owed him in return.

She heard the hum of an approaching vessel, and gazed up to see the hover-pod- a different one that was covered in sophisticated war paint- approaching; no doubt the Rodian one had called for reinforcements to help trap and slay the four of them. Keeping herself calm, Mara searched for anything that she could use as a weapon against them, only to find nothing of value towards them. Gazing up, Mara saw the same black Trandoshian from the ship, followed by the obvious leader of the group; an overweight and muscled Bothan, who had introduced himself as Rickton.

Her emerald eyes widened as she heard Luke begin to regain consciousness, and saw the Bothan raise a sniper rifle towards them, before an idea struck her; grabbing the chain that bound their wrists together, she raised hers and Luke's as the shot veered towards them, and closed her eyes, praying that the shot would strike...

With a burning sensation and a joint yelp from both her and Luke, Mara felt the heavy weight slide off, and realised that her wrist was now freed.

"What the kriff?" Luke bellowed, and she opened her eyes.

"Don't ask questions now, Skywalker!" She grabbed his sleeve. "RUN!"

Luke jumped up, a bit dazed, and saw the hover-pod, and nodded, the pair rushing towards the thicker flora near them, the hover-pod following them from behind. Grasping a branch, Luke swung himself and over some bundles of thorns, Mara following, before grabbing a vine in mid air, swinging himself around, holding on tight as he pushed his palm out of his free hand, causing the thorned branches to spring to life and fly towards the hover-pod, and its occupants. The Bothan gave a snarl, and fired rapidly towards the thorned branches, but it was too late; the branches wrapped around the pod's repuslors and sank in, damaging them and causing the pod to fall. The Bothan and Trandoshian leapt out and landed, Luke and Mara diving up into the canopy, hidden in the shadows.

Keeping his breathing to a minimum, Luke crept over the branches on all fours, gazing down towards the two pirates, before glancing at Mara, who was on the other side of the tree they were both in. He held two fingers up, and drew them down the front of his face from his eyes to the corners of his mouth, and she nodded, understanding that they were going to take one each, and the Trandoshian nearest her was the target for her. Spotting the Bothan beneath him, Luke gritted his teeth, and jumped down, landing on the large Bothan and covering his eyes with one arm, aiming a repeated line of punches at the top of the Bothan's skull.

"Get him off!" The gruff voice snarled from beneath him. "GET HIM OFF!"

The Trandoshian aimed for Luke, only to find Mara swing from a branch near him and kick him violently in the chest, pushing the pair of them towards the lower part of the tree. Smacking his fist into the Bothan's skull base, Luke felt the Bothan's strong grip curl around his arm and throw him down, before aiming a powerful stomp towards Luke's head, intending to crush his skull. Rolling, Luke twisted his body and got up, Force-choking the Bothan before throwing him back against a tree, and running forwards, ready to high-kick the sniper rifle from his grip.

"Rickton!" The Trandoshian roared in panic, and smacked Mara in the face, pushing her into the over-growth, only for her to grasp the vines underneath and hang precariously over the drop.

Luke sensed the Trandoshian aim for him, and spun around to face him, waving his hands from side to side to disperse the blaster shots aimed towards him, before blasting his hands before him, and ramming the Trandoshian against the tree behind him. However, he felt a powerful grip on his braid, and cried out, before he was grabbed by the collar and flung into another tree, collapsing down, before hearing the click of Rickton's rifle and pouncing upwards, grasping a branch that hung above him, ready to kick the rifle out of his claws, only for the Trandoshian to leap up and grab his ankles, and yank him clean off, throwing the teenager down towards the drop.

Luke cried out, and flipped, pushing his hands out and using the Force to slow his momentum, grasping anything that was worthy of slowing his fall or saving him from serious injury. He saw Mara holding onto the underside of the large trunk they had fought on, and reached for her, only to lose some of his concentration at the last few feet and strike the ground hard, winding himself and bruising his torso. Wincing, Luke raised his head and a hand, seeing a sharp rock before him, and grasped it, aware of blood that flowed from his nose at the impact. Feeling the ground vibrate beneath him, Luke felt a claw close around his throat, and was pushed against a large rock, Rickton's fat face inches from his own, eyes alight with jeering, his lips pulled back in a sneer.

"I have you now, Jedi!"

Luke glared, and swiped with the sharp rock, catching Rickton in the cheek and making the Bothan snarl, backing off, but for the Trandoshian to grab Luke by the arms and restrain him, pulling him back and away from the Bothan as he clasped a hand to his cheek. Luke spat at Rickton, defiant as the Bothan drew a knife from his belt.

"Hold his head to the side. I'm gonna make this quick, and as painful as possible!" He snarled, and aimed for the side of Luke's throat, the knife all that the teenage boy could see...

Mara's screech sounded above him, and the girl leapt down, blasting Rickton to the side, before kicking up his rifle and aiming at Luke and the Trandoshian, who hissed and held Luke's hair tight, threatening to snap his neck at the first chance. For a moment, Mara hesitated, gazing at Luke with her emerald eyes full of sudden triumph, but then the moment passed, and she fired, striking the Trandoshian in the claw that held Luke's head, making it screech and tear it away. Twisting his arms from his grip, Luke turned and high-kicked the Trandoshian in the face, before following Mara at running pace towards the thick bushes, augmenting their speed with the Force, and leaving the injured pair of hunters behind.

Finally, they stopped when they were absolutely sure that they were alone, and panted, trying to catch their breath as they stared around for any sign of Kyle and Shira since they had gotten separated. Looking up at Mara, Luke straightened, before saying.

"Thanks, for saving my life back there."

Mara smiled, and straightened as well, before replying. "Not a problem; just doing what anyone would have done, Luke."

"No, but really; thank you," Luke then noticed a scratch on her arm, no doubt from the fight with the Trandoshian. "You're hurt."

"It's nothing," Mara replied, placing a hand over it. "I'm fine."

"No, let me see," Luke stood and approached, taking her hand off gently and checking the wound. He traced some fingers over it, checking for any free-flowing blood, and continued towards her shoulder, raising his gaze towards Mara, who stared up at him as well. "It's not bleeding, at all. It'll be fine."

"Yes," Mara whispered. "I know."

Luke stroked the hand he had hold of, gazing into her emerald eyes with his own sky-blue pair, reflecting on how they reminded him of an un-touched forest, pure and in summer, a beauty above all others. He leaned forwards slightly, and felt her breath against his lips, his hand still holding hers between them, stroking the delicate fingers, her emerald eyes now hidden behind her eyelids as she approached him too.

"Mara! Luke!"

He groaned, and pulled away, Mara heaving a sigh before him, and released her hand, gazing towards where the voices came from, seeing Kyle and Shira burst from the bushes; Kyle had scratches over his face, and his left hand was bandaged with some torn parts of his shirt, whereas Shira looked a mess. Her skin had peeled slightly, to reveal a prosthetic jaw and cheek, and her hair was messed up with mud, scratches on her still human skin, and was breathing heavy from the chase.

Her eyes drifted between them, noting their hands clasped loosely, and said. "Are we interrupting something?"

Luke and Mara released one another, before Luke replied. "N... No, not at all!"

"Good, because we have found a way," Kyle was grinning. "You know those hover-pods?"

"Yeah..." Mara said slowly, frowning a bit.

"Well, see that first pilot guy? He was a Trandoshian, and let's just say he wasn't too much trouble at all."

"So," Shira continued. "We killed the Rodian after us, and did the same to the Trandoshian. Kyle did something _brilliant."_

"Yeah, completely brilliant!" Kyle and Shira were excited, grinning away. "I leapt into the pod and got control... AND-"

"It has the coordinates of their base!" Shira clapped her hands. "We could got up there, and take the ship! We are capable!"

"Hold on, hold on!" Mara said, raising her hands. "What if they have an army up there?"

"Come on, since when did that have any bearings on Force sensitives?" Kyle interjected. "We can beat them! What do you say, Luke? Or do you wanna go back to what you and Mara were up to just now?"

Luke and Mara flushed violently, and Luke said. "Fine. We storm the base, but we gotta be careful. Come on, take me and Mara to this pod, and let's see what we can plan out."

Kyle and Shira both nodded in unison, before turning and striding off, but Luke turned to Mara and caught her wrist.

"Mara..." He started, and she turned to face him. Luke bit his lip, before leaning towards her and kissing her cheek.

Mara started, and placed a hand where he had kissed her. "Luke..."

"A thanks, for saving my skin," He replied. "Come on; let's catch up with them, before they get impatient."

"I agree," Mara said a faint flush on her features. "Although, I have a bad feeling about this."


	78. Part V, Chapter 14

_BROTHER AND SISTER  
><em>

_Finally, I'm away from that sham of a Senate and back towards normality!_

Leia walked the corridors of the flagship of Rahm Kota, who had been stationed in the Christophsis system, which was part of the Rebel territories- and glad to be, if any of the celebrations by the natives were read correctly if possible. Sorting the bun on the left, she continued her pace, chewing her lip as she rehearsed what she had wanted to tell Kota as soon as she saw him and his apprentice; Galen Marek was a skilled student, but she found him irritating, and completely full of himself. Yes, he was skilled at the backhand styles of combat, and could use the Force to devastating effect, making him effective as the larger battles on the planet surfaces, but that was about it; he had no control, no sympathy compared to Luke and his group of friends, who tried everything possible to spare the lives of any prisoners and treated them with compassion, like a proper Jedi.

Leia chewed her lip, and quickened her pace; her hesitation right now could be the bridge for Luke in saving his life. Any hesitation put him at more danger than before, but she could feel between the still-open connection that he was alive, and safe, although the twinges she had felt occasionally caused her some alarm when she felt it on her right wrist, worried that something bad had happened; that he had maybe broken it or lost his hand. Of course, worrying about it would mean she couldn't do anything about it!

Passing by the militia that Kota had employed as his own bodyguards, Leia entered the passcode for the Bridge, and walked into it, seeing Rebel troops working at the controls, and the man and Padawan themselves standing at the controls, talking in low voices as they pointed to a map that revealed the Christophsis system, pointing towards some Imperial cruisers that had unfortunately ventured into Rebel territories, and were now being taken care of by some of Kota's top ships in his fleet.

Pausing, Leia cleared her throat, and approached the Jedi General as he turned to face her, his face stern, and hair now grey compared to the other Jedi that Leia had met. Obi-Wan himself still had some of his red hair in his now grey strands, his fringe containing the only shock of white hair that had dominanted it.

"Yes, Princess Leia?" Kota replied, Galen turned to face her, his hair now cut shorter, and still as dark as ever, but his face was twisted into a sneer, gazing at her with coldness in his eyes; Leia had a sinking feeling that Galen was no longer that active, nice boy she had known as a youngling.

"Master Kota, I have been in contact with Luke Skywalker," She answered.

There was a shocked silence, and Galen broke it by saying. "How?"

"Well, somehow, he managed to contact me on Coruscant," Leia replied. "My Father has always wanted me to learn how to establish those connections with Jedi in case something happened to me on Coruscant, while in the Senate and near the Emperor, and needed help. Just a security method."

"I see," Kota said slowly. "And how did you manage this, can I ask?"

"I don't know!" Leia retorted. "I was working at my desk, looking over some bills for the Emperor, when I felt this brush on my mind. It was Luke; I could sense it, and I heard his voice in my mind, calling my name, and then I opened the connection between him."

"Do you not know how risky that is?" Kota said firmly. "What if the Emperor had sensed this?"

"He didn't, and that's the main thing," Leia said stubbornly. "Anyway, I told Luke to keep the connection between us open, and he has until I find a Jedi Master that can trace it to his location; he has no idea what planet he and Kyle are on, and as I can't get a message through to Obi-Wan, I had to come to the nearest Jedi Master to me, and that was you."

"Wait, Obi-Wan isn't responding?" Kota repeated. "That's strange; he usually keeps the comm. channels open just in case he gets into trouble."

"He said he was going to find some way of locating Luke via another source," Leia interjected, hoping it was helpful. "Something about a familial bond."

Kota's frown deepened, and then his eyes widened as understanding dawned on his features; he now knew what had become of Obi-Wan Kenobi. If he had went and searched for Darth Vader, and had since not been in contact with them, then it meant that he had run into some serious trouble; trouble being that he was now imprisoned and being tortured by the Empire this very moment. Capturing a key Rebel and General would be a turning point for the Empire, and the longer he was subjected to the Empire's methods of torture, the less chance there was of actually helping and saving him from Vader's clutches; it would only be a matter of time until Obi-Wan Kenobi was broken.

"Right, I'll trace Luke through you, and contact the nearest fleet to me," Kota ordered. "And then I'll try and contact Obi-Wan; he might be having some trouble with the signal."

"Possibly," Leia chewed her lip. "I worry for him, and for Luke. I worry for all of them."

"Understandable, Princess," Galen stated, stepping forwards. "My Master and I will do everything possible to help find them."

"Thank you," Leia nodded, before turning to Kota and saying. "I'm ready."

Kota nodded, and placed a hand on her shoulder, turning and leading the Princess out of the bridge and towards the viewing deck just above the command centre, stepping in and shooing some Rebels out, the trio sitting down on the couches. Kota turned to Leia, and said.

"Face me, Princess."

Leia turned to face him, and waited, eyes widening as Kota raised his hands and placed two fingers against her temples, reaching inwards towards her mind and finding the connection that she still had wide open, searching the tendrils around her section to see if it was true, that Luke _really_ had touched her mind, and not another individual that was trying to lead a false trail. Fortunately, it was, and Kota pushed onwards, moving over the connection and entering Luke's own mind, brushing it gently; he was in the outer rim, at the very edge of the Felucian system, on a planet completely covered with forestry and islands.

Kota saw them, the four individuals, Luke and Kyle amongst them and staring at what appeared to be a hover-pod, the four tinkering away on it. All four were covered in mud and grazes, with Luke sporting a top, blooded lip and Kyle some scratches on his face, whereas the noticeable two girls also a little worse of wear. Focusing on Luke, Kota flowed back through the connection and closed it off completely, returning back to his present location and pulling away from Leia, lowering his hands.

"I have located them," He said hoarsely. "And they appear to be tinkering on a means of escape; whatever they have gotten into, they seem to have taken care of it, and will no doubt find some way of getting off the planet."

"But... He sounded as though he was in genuine trouble!" Leia protested, standing up. "We need to help them!"

"Princess, they look alright," Galen said. "They're alive, and are finding a way off themselves; have some faith."

"But-."

"Princess, please," Kota placed a hand on her shoulder. "Right now, we have bigger problems, and that is the Empire; losing these two apprentices is upsetting, but we cannot lose focus on our real mission. And that mission is to bring the Empire crumbling to its knees, and we will accomplish that; sacrifices must be made."

"But sacrificing Luke and Kyle is not the way to go!" Leia protested. "We need them!"

"No, Galen here is more than capable of accomplishing what we need," Kota replied. "I'm sorry, Princess; I cannot help you, and I won't waste any resources on this. If it is the way of the Force that they should live or die, then I must follow it, and so should you."

Leia glared at him, disbelief in her brown eyes, before turning around and striding off, tears of frustration in her eyes.

Glancing towards his Master, Galen said. "That went well."

"If the Princess doesn't understand that _you_ are the one to defeat the Empire, then we will _make_ her understand," Kota retorted. "Your Father and I have held onto that belief since you first came to us as a toddler, and we will soon reveal that you are more likely to succeed where everything else thinks Luke should. When he and Kyle returns- if they return- Skywalker will no doubt go and save his Master, and may need accompanied; that is where you will show him uo, reveal your power and skills are expert compared to his own."

"Yes, Master," Galen replied with a bow. "And the Princess?"

"The Princess may not know yet, but that bond she has with Luke Skywalker is because of their Father," Kota answered. "That they are actually twins; a bond between Twins is exceptionally strong and unbreakable unless one turns or dies. With the secret kept between them that they are twins, and the truth about Skywalker's paternal side kept hush for now, there might be a chance that the trust that Luke Skywalker has in his Master may diminish when he learns that fateful secret, so much so that he may step aside for you."

"And the twin bond?"

"Skywalker may believe that Princess Leia knows as well, after all, she has close connections with the Rebel Leaders, and we have discussed a few times about telling young Skywalker the truth about his Father, only to have it diminished when Leia appears," Kota paced before Galen. "Now, we can do so, and Skywalker might lose faith in everyone and everything around him."

"Yes, Master," Galen said, bowing slightly towards him. "I'll train harder. I won't let you down."

"You won't let the _Jedi_ down," Kota placed a hand on his shoulder. "I will see to that."

Ooo

Outside the viewing deck, Leia shook as she heard what Kota had just revealed, shock on her features and fear gripping each and every part of her body.

Luke was her brother... Her _twin_ brother! Did that mean they had the same Father? And the same Mother? She knew she was adopted, as Bail and Breha had told her when she was ten years old, but this... This was bigger than what she had anticipated! But then again, it explained a lot about her own capabilities, her own powers; she always shared a close connection with Luke, and sometimes when the apprentices used their powers around her and Luke, they remarked that the pair seemed similar in such a way that the Force sensitivity was mirrored, yet slightly different, as though the power between them was greatly varied. Luke was a powerful Jedi, she knew this, and that power shadowed her own!

But did Luke know? Did Luke know that they were brother and sister, that they were twins? No; her heart told her that he didn't know about their family relations, and that only made her more fearful than before.

Hearing Kota and Galen heading towards the door, she turned and scarpered, rushing down the corridor at impossible speed towards the hangar bay, only stopping when she was sure she could not run any longer. Besides, a long dress such as the one she was wearing just now didn't help what-so-ever, and her hair was already beginning to escape from her side buns and flop over her face, which was flustered from her race towards the hangar bay. Gazing around, Leia tidied her hair before striding into the hangar bay and towards her vessel, the _Tantive IV,_ and entering to see Captain Antilles awaiting her, surprise on his features at her flustered entrance, and the fear that gripped her features, opening his mouth and asking.

"Princess Leia, what's the matter?"

"Captain," She managed to pant, before drawing a deeper breath in, and continuing. "What fleet is close to this sector? Or close to the Felucian system?"

Antilles frowned, before saying. "I believe it's the Mon Calamarian fleet, my Lady; Admiral Ackbar himself."

"Good. Set up a holo call to him and his fleet, immediately," Leia ordered, and Antilles bowed his head, leading her towards the bridge of the ship, Rebel troops lining the corridor and standing to attention. Keeping her expression stoic, Leia stood before the transmitter as Antilles began placing in the code for Ackbar's flagship, nothing but beeping greeting them for a few moments, until finally the tall form of the Admiral appeared before her in miniature.

"Admiral," Leia greeted. "Am I glad to see you."

"_The pleasure is all mine, Princess Leia,"_ Ackbar replied, his webbed claws clasped behind his back. "_What may I help you with?"_

"Admiral, Commander Skywalker and Katarn have been located, and are in dire need of help," Leia stated. "They are on the last planet in the Felucian system, captured by pirates and no doubt being hunted as we speak. They need assistance to get off that planet and escape, can you manage that?"

"_Princess, our fleet is a bit stretched, and I cannot take a flagship or a cruiser in case the Pirates or the Empire themselves realise that this part of the outer rim is undefended,"_ Ackbar took a grating breath. "_However, I am willing to take a small transport with some of my squads to save them and kill the pirates should they be there. Have no fear, Princess; we will find and rescue them, or die trying."_

"Thank you, Ackbar," Leia smiled at him. "May the Force be with you and the others."

"_It will be,"_ Ackbar comforted. "_It always is, Princess. After we have rescued the Commanders and defeated the Pirates, I will return them to Yavin myself."_

"Thank you, once again," Leia repeated. "Good luck."

Ackbar disconnected, and Leia turned to Antilles. "I wish to return to Alderaan. Immediately; I believe my Father has some questions to answer both me, and Commander Skywalker when he returns."

"Yes, my lady," Antilles replied, and issued the command through the comm. of the ship, while Leia went and straped herself in on the passenger section of the deck. Hearing the hum of the engines beneath her, Leia closed her eyes and tried to keep her tears to an absolute minimum, scared of what her Father would say when she asked him about what she had over-heard from Rahm Kota and his apprentice, but also worried about her brother.

The shock had still not depleted from her, and for a second, she felt in complete denial, that Luke _wasn't_ her brother, and that Kota had only said that because he knew that she was eavesdropping, that she was listening in to their conversation, only saying it to make her scared and make a fool of herself, something that she had almost just done. But if it was true, and Luke _was_ her brother, then she had many questions to ask him about their Father, and would gladly give him any answers he wanted about their Mother.

After all, he had said that he had no memory of their- no, _his_- Mother, and she had hardly any memories of her Father. If it was true, they would have a lot to talk, and many questions to ask their caretakers. Anger washed over her, but Leia forced it down, trying to keep a control of the stubbornness that she was famed for in the Rebel Alliance, only wanting to unleash it when she met and asked her Father back on Alderaan about the truth.


	79. Part V, Chapter 15

_SON OF VADER_

On the wide area of the vessel, two of the pirates were leaning against a rail, their weapons leaning next to them on the supports, staring at the ground. Both were Trandoshians, one a deep red, the other a clay colour, even though their eyes were both yellow in colour, and they wore different styled clothing that was still similar in appearance in some form. One hissed, and turned to look over the rail and through the clouds, wondering where the other Trandoshian pirate had got to, and then turned to his partner.

"Wonder where Smog is? He should have been back by now."

The other hissed, and then said. "Smog lives up to his name; he'll no doubt be smoking some death sticks as we speak."

The other turned and rested his claws on the rail, looking over at the horizon. "Rickton wants those four teens dead by sundown, but with no sign of them, and with us having to come back as a result, looks like we have failed."

"No kidding," The partner growled, and then clicked, licking his lips. "Better luck tomorrow I suppose. Besides, Rickton wants the blondie over the two females and the other male; he's the one that Rickton wants dead. If the Empire is paying that much- we could kill him, hide the body and leave ourselves, presenting it to the Emperor for the award."

The first clicked, and said. "You have a wild imagination, Gorog. No one is that good at killing a Jedi."

Gorog hissed in protest, almost ready to punch his partner when he heard the hum of a hover pod, and turned. "Looks like Smog is on his way back! Let's hope he actually caught something worthwhile for the Boss to not smack him one."

"That Bothan has a temper," The other agreed. "Must be because he's an othersized bear- cat hybrid."

They both sniggered, and waited for the hover-pod to make an appearance, and when it did, none of them were prepared for what happened next. As the pod appeared, there was, not a Rodian, but four human teenagers- two males, and two females- and before Gorog could screech in distress, the fiery red haired girl leapt up, swung on the rail and kicked him in the face, sending him catapulting across the floor. The blonde haired boy followed, high-kicking the other and then grabbing him in a head-lock, flipping backwards when the Trandoshian almost grabbed him, twisting his waist so that he caught the muscular legs in a Force-enhanced kick, and twisted them, causing the Trandoshian to fall and smack its scaly head. The blood-haired girl leapt off next, while the other male took the hover-pod away, ready to be backup when needed.

Mara rushed to Luke and Shira, as the pair grabbed the fallen one that Luke had taken care of, and thrown him over the rail to its death. A screeching sound emitted from nearby, and the trio turned to see Gorog releasing a distress call, causing heavy footsteps to sound as aid came towards them. Mara raised her hand, caught Gorog in a Force-choke, and threw him against the rail, only for Shira to steal his twin pistols and kick him over the edge. Shira threw one to Mara, as Luke led them behind a hover-pod as they were soon assaulted by blaster fire coming from Rodians and Weequays. Luke nodded to Shira, and she nodded back, skilfully twisting her upper body around and opening fire, blasting one Rodian in the skull.

Luke stared around for anything to help, and spotted a Trandoshian heading towards a hover-pod, and closed his eyes, raising his hands and letting the Force built up inside him, lifting the hover-pod easily off the ground. Opening his eyes, Luke threw it across the platform, hearing it crash, and then the clang of the rail as it was struck and the pod fell, the Trandoshian no doubt taken with it. Gazing around, Luke nodded to Mara and Shira, before crawling into the open pit of the pod they hid behind, and quickly began to hotwire the machine-gun at the front, disconnecting it before emerging, opening fire upon the pirates.

Mara and Shira both nodded and ran out, using the cover of Luke's fire to attack the Rodians and Weequays, Mara skidding beneath one and kicking their ankles out the way, and Shira elbowing another, before flipping them. Luke gazed upwards to see the Bothan leader- Rickton, he now knew- and then spotted something on his belt.

_Our weapons! He's had them this whole time!_

Luke gazed around for someway he could take them without Rickton seizing them if he used the Force, but knew he had no choice. Focusing a tiny amount, Luke nudged the Bothan back slightly, and when Rickton struggled to stable himself, Luke ripped his belt off with the Force, letting it fall before diving out from the pod, catching it, and flipping into a crouch. Mara's light-sabre was there, as was his and Kyle's, and also a long rod with curled tendrils, no doubt belonging to Shira. Luke grabbed the belt and tied it around his waist, rushing towards the duo, grabbing Mara's lightsabre and throwing it towards her, shouting for her to catch it.

Mara leapt up and grabbed the metal hilt, igniting the purple blade and landing by slicing one pirate in half. Luke grabbed the metal rod and threw that to Shira, watching in awe as she lengthened the tendrils and ignited it, flicking the tendrils expertly, while Luke ignited his azure blade and Kyle's own light-sabre, slashing at one pirate close to him, before running to Mara's side, ducking some tendrils.

"Mara!" He called. "We're winning!"

Her grin was large, and she nodded in agreement, Force-pushing a pirate away from her...

"LOOK OUT!"

Luke heard an explosion, and looked around to see the hover-pod that Kyle was using fall, struck by a grenade that had obviously been thrown by Rickton, heading straight towards them. Grabbing Mara by the arm, Luke extinguished his lightsabres and threw them both down, hearing Shira scream nearby, but kept his head down, shielding Mara with his own body. Gazing down at Mara, Luke was almost lost in her emerald eyes, marvelled by their shades, and how well they matched her hair and pale complexion.

"Well, are you getting off me, or are you too comfortable?" Mara asked.

Luke flushed, but then felt his collar get jerked, and he was thrown harshly to the ground, hearing the click of pistols all around him. Staring up, his eyes widened as he saw that the four of them- Kyle lying stunned nearby- were now surrounded by the pirates, with Rickton smirking down at them, his eyes gleaming as he stared at each of them in turn.

"A valiant effort," He applauded, his muzzle pulled back into a grin. "But not good enough!"

Luke glared, clenching his fists tightly.

"Now then," Rickton gazed down at Luke. "I believe I have a score to settle with you, brat; after all, you gave me this scar. And I think I will mark that handsome face as a result, as severely as possible."

"Try it," Luke sneered. "I dare you."

Rickton grinned. "Is that _anger_ I hear, Jedi? So unlike your kind to resolve to violent methods!"

"I think we will make an exception," Kyle interjected. "Considering what you have done!"

Luke gazed at the brunette boy, surprised; since when did Kyle care about lower species, which were not Jedi? His eyes darted to Shira, who had one hand over half her face, head bowed and a tear slowly falling down one side of her face, worry now starting to course through his heart and soul.

"Take aim," Rickton sounded.

Luke heard the pistols click as their wielders aimed them towards their heads, making Luke take a deep breath, and turned away; ready to receive the shot that would end his life, make him leave all those he cared behind. He felt a soft hand enclose around his own, knowing it was Mara's, and released the breath, closing his eyes.

"Look!" Mara suddenly sounded.

Luke raised his head upwards, opening his eyes, and gasped when he saw unknown ships appear above them, distant, but gradually growing in size. Then, as they became clearer, he recognised them; they were the Mon Calamaria, and judging by the markings on the side of the ships, they were of the Rebellion. Luke rolled as he heard blaster shots erupt from the ships, and kicked the ankles of a captor near him, before darting out the way, leading Mara and Kyle behind cover as the Calamaria descended on ropes, disconnecting themselves and aiming with their long nozzled rifles, striking pirates in the chest.

"LUKE!"

He turned at the sound of his name, and saw Shira cowering in a corner, her light-whip deactivated but the tendrils long and frilled before her, staring up at him with wide eyes. She was trapped between the pirates and the Calamaria.

Ignoring all warning, Luke rushed out, shielding his head from the blaster shots that rained on both sides, the pirates caught unaware from the Calamarian's sudden entrance. Skidding, Luke ducked behind the fallen hover-pod that Kyle used, and then crawled towards Shira, sitting by her side.

"Let me see," He panted, reaching up to her hand to check the wound.

Shira nodded shakily, and lowered her hand to reveal a horrific burn and open wound on her face, even a cut over her right eye. Luke stared at it, unsure what to do, and gazed around for any sign of a Calamaria that could help, before saying to Shira. "I have to get you help."

"No, please," Shira begged, grabbing his arm in a death grip. "Don't leave me here alone! Please!"

"I don't have a choice, Shira!" Luke said, pulling his arm from her grip. "I have to get someone more experienced! I can't help you!"

"Can't or _won't_?" Shira growled, and Luke stared at her, shocked at her outburst; what had brought this on?

"Shira... I don't have the skills..." He started, but she kicked out, and Luke was forced to jump back in surprise. She stood up, and for a second, when Luke stared into her eyes, he didn't see the pale green, but yellow...

Burning yellow, like fire...

Shira pulled her whip back and activated it, the tendrils swarmed with energy, and Luke was forced to ignite his light-sabre, backing off, hoping that the tendrils would not come close to him.

"I am not Shira Brie anymore," She snarled. "I am Lumiya! Apprentice of Darth Vader!"

An explosion sounded behind her, and Luke shielded his head as the tendrils narrowly missed his neck, and backed off, glancing back to see a familiar Calamaria behind him, pistol raised and ready. The Calamaria took a grating breath, and said.

"Commander Skywalker, Ackbar at your service!"

"Ackbar!" Luke said happily. "Am I glad to see you!"

The Calamaria gave a smile, before pulling Luke behind shelter, and said. "The Bothan has hid himself inside his room; we have a team ready to intercept."

Luke nodded, but said. "Leave him to me; I have a score to settle with him."

Ackbar gave a Mon Calamaria's equivalent of raised eyebrows. "Are you sure? It is unwise to go against such a dangerous individual, Commander Skywalker!"

"I am capable," Luke said. "I just need a boost; I can Force leap up there if someone gives me a hand."

Ackbar understood that, and nodded, Luke backing off and the Mon Calamaria kneeling down, cupping his hands before him, before the Jedi Apprentice rushed forwards, pushing his strongest foot on Ackbar's hands and then down, feeling the Calamaria push him as well. Using the Force, Luke leapt through the air and upwards towards the balcony, flipping over the rail and landing in a crouch. Wiping some dirt off his face, Luke stalked towards the door, his lightsabre already in hand and waiting to be ignited should he open the door and face Rickton head on. Waving his hand, Luke opened the door and entered into the shadowed room, his eyes surveying each and every inch of the room for any sign of Rickton.

His eyes found a soft blue glow at the back of the room, and he almost froze for a moment, almost forgot why he was in here at all. Luke slowly approached the throne that stood before him, where the light was emitting from, almost entranced by it, the sounds of the fighting now fading into nothing as ghostly voices began to emit from the light. He reached out towards it, and found his fingers curl around a cube, lifting it up to reveal a blue holocron.

Luke felt a power surge through him, and the voices seem to whisper more to him, and for a moment, he thought he saw someone- a tall man with long hair and a beard, a Fathery look around him.

_Luke..._ His baritone voice sounded. _Luke... He's here... Be careful! BEHIND YOU!_

Luke ducked and an axe narrowly missed his head, striking the throne. Dropping the holocron, Luke turned around and faced Rickton, igniting his lightsabre and assuming the Ataru opening stance.

Ooo

Mara was starting to tire, regardless of the enemy faltering under the numbers of the Mon Calamari that had arrived to help them. Diving behind a hover-pod, Mara gazed around at one as he emerged to fire, only to get struck in the shoulder and fall beside her, groaning in pain, making her reach out to the Force- it was time to ease the Mon Calamarian's pain, and snap his neck, another life taken. She closed her eyes, and slowly brought the Force into being, circling it around the Mon Calamari's almost non-existant neck, and squeezed _ever so slightly..._

Then, she snapped his neck in one blink of her eye, and watched as the Mon Calamari become still before her, the stink of the sea already beginning to swarm her nostrils. Mara turned away, and saw Shira approaching, her light-whip already in her hand and deactivated, sporting a large pair of gashes on one side of her face; Mara couldn't help but stare at the metal jaw that was now revealed, and the cheek-bone that also shone with the silver of the substance. Her fear only increased when she saw Shira aim a punch at a pirate and break his neck, the head of the individual flying back and jerking the vertebrae column that ran into his neck into a ninety degree angle, shattering the spinal cord and snapping it as well.

Mara drew her light-sabre, and ignited it, the purple blade illuminating where she was kneeling, her gaze on the Bothan's second in command as he appeared- a large Trandoshian with black scales, and red eyes, muscled and looking incredibly deadly; already, he was grabbing a Mon Cal that was near him, and twisting the swollen head violently to one side, breaking the neck, before using the pistol to fire at nearby ones, the body a shield towards them. Gritting her teeth, Mara threw out her training at the hands of Palpatine, and darted out, rushing towards the Trandoshian.

"Skorr!" She shrieked, and brought her light-sabre around at the Trandoshian. He hissed and threw his arm out, the body of the Mon Cal being thrown towards Mara and landing against her, the purple blade piercing through the already dead creature. However, the weight had pinned her slightly, and she couldn't shift the Mon Cal off her, writhing and kicking at the soldier, when she sensed Skorr approaching her, taking advantage of her being pinned and unable to move. Deactivating her light-sabre, Mara used the Force to shove the body off her, before flipping backwards when the Trandoshian brought an axe down where she had laid, landing in a crouch a few feet away.

Reigniting her light-sabre, Mara darted forwards, swiping the blade at the axe when it came veering towards her head, slicing it in half before ducking when Skorr tried to grab her hair, his massive claws just missing her auburn strands by an inch. Slashing towards his stomach, Mara cursed when she missed by a millimetre, and spun, kicking out and striking Skorr in the chin, making the Trandoshian hiss loudly at her, his impatience and temper starting to over-ride everything, the natural instinct to hunt now impulsive.

Easy for her to take advantage of.

Mara swiped at Skorr's arm, and cursed when she missed and over-shot her spin, the Trandoshian easily grabbing her from behind and squeezing her against his chest, lifting her up, before throwing her down on the ground at his feet, and raising his clawed foot, ready to slam it on her stomach, only for her to roll and the foot to strike where she had laid. Mara brought her light-sabre around, only to have it kicked from her hand and fly towards the rail, sliding into a groove and remaining stationary; she wouldn't have time to summon it with the Force, so Mara was resolved to using hand-to-hand combat for now.

Skorr threw his fist around at her, and she ducked, aiming a hard punch at his abdomen and only succeeding in making him flinch, and her to whimper at the pain in her hand. The Trandoshian punched her in the stomach, and kneed her face, making a sharp pain rise through her nose from where he had struck. No, this time, she needed to use her assassin training to help her succeed against Skorr; it was evident now why Rickton had chosen the Trandoshian as his second-in command. The Trandoshian's strength was massive, and this strength was advantageous towards anyone and anything, his keen senses able to pin point where the prey was. Maybe that was why Trandoshians were incredibly dangerous as Bounty Hunters and pirates; they were tough, and strong.

Mara spun as Skorr aimed a punch at her again, and ducked down, grabbing the hidden knife she always had stored in her boot and unsheathing it; she was lucky that they had not confiscated it before when she was captured, obviously thinking that the tight boots would not have hid anything dangerous inside. That was a mistake on their part, and now, they were going to pay the price.

The Trandoshian whirled around, and hissed, seeing Mara with the knife in her hand, which she spun, the blade facing downwards and along her arm, before she stalked forwards. Skorr swun for her again, and Mara ducked, before ramming her knife into his side, and then twisted, slamming the sharp blade into his arm.

Skorr roared in pain, and used his free claw to grab Mara by the hair, pulling it and trying to get her into surrender. Mara winced at the pain in her scalp, and slashed with the knife, cutting at the wrist and severing a vital blood supply there. Skorr reeled back, releasing her, and Mara seized her chance to leap up and kick him in the chest, their fight coming closer towards the rail, and ducked low, her knife striking his thigh and sinking through. Skorr's fist flashed, and she was smacked to the ground, before he grabbed her by the collar and threw her towards the rail, making her crash into it. Eyes closed in pain, Mara panted where she laid, her hand resting on her head where she had struck it, before finally opening it to see the Trandoshian reach down and grab the knife, pulling it out with one tug, roaring at the pain, before turning to Mara.

"Now, miss beautiful, how would you like to die?" He hissed. "Shall I slit your throat, making it quick? Or will I stab you at various points in your body and let you bleed slowly to death, the pain over-whelming and making you plead for a quick death?"

Mara glared up at him, reaching back behind her to find something- anything- that would help her in this fight, only for her hand to enclose around a metal cylinder. Her eyes widened, as she held her light-sabre in one hand, her finger hesitating on the ignition switch, the purple blade ready to snap into life when she touched it.

Skorr bore down on her, and raised the knife, obviously making up his mind about what to do, and Mara acted; she became a blur as she used the Force to increase her speed and emerged from behind Skorr, her light-sabre snapping into life. Skorr turned, knife ready, but Mara was slightly faster; with one hard thrust, she sunk her light-sabre into his stomach, pushing it right through to the hilt and rushing forwards, her shoulder connecting with his chest and shoving him towards the rail. Mara felt the Trandoshian grab her by the arm as he fell backwards, but she quickly twisted, her blade becoming free and slashing his arm, grabbing hold of the rail just in case he grabbed her once again. Feeling herself get pulled over, Mara hung precariously over the edge, hearing Skorr scream as he fell the great drop towards the planet below.

Gazing down at his disappearing body, Mara turned her gaze upwards and deactivated her light-sabre, grabbing the rail with her free hand and, using the Force to give her momentum, she pulled herself up and over the rail, breathing heavily as she crawled on the ground, sensing Shira coming towards her.

"Nice going, Jade," She sneered. "Now, are we done here? I have a mission to complete."

Mara looked up at her. "What mission?"

"Oh, just a special mission that the Emperor wants me to undertake," Shira answered, heading towards the balconys abover her. "And I am going to see it through."

"Wait, Brie!" Mara managed to get up, her eyes wide. "What mission?"

Shira paused, and turned. "Why, a mission to kill your lover boy; I saw you two kiss a few nights ago, and I must say, Jade, you know exactly how to win a Jedi's heart. Particularly one that you will have to kill should he survive after this day."

"I _knew _it!"

Mara jumped around, and saw Kyle standing a few feet away, his light-sabre ignited in a blue light, and his eyes wide as he stared at the pair. Mara felt guilt and self-loathing rise inside her; she had betrayed Luke and Kyle, failed her own personal mission that she had undertaken herself, to protect them both, and to get them home alongside her and Shira. Now, it seems that she was the enemy towards the Jedi once again, and there was no way she would become one of them, not when Kyle had heard of her betrayal.

"Indeed, Kyle Katarn," Shira jeered. "Didn't you and Skywalker know? I _am_ an Imperial spy, one of Darth Vader's apprentices, but Mara Jade here is also an Imperial spy... The Emperor's Hand to be exactly."

Kyle's eyes were full of disbelief, and then full of anger as he pointed his light-sabre at them. "You're gonna have to kill me to get to Luke."

"You don't have a choice," Shira hissed, and with one fluid movement, she drew her hand back and Force-pushed him, making Kyle fly back against the boxes and disappear; Mara was in shock, staring at where Kyle had disappeared, before Shira's voice sounded in her ear.

"Well, are you going to help me?"

Mara looked at her, and shook her head. "No; I have my own mission here. You undertake yours and see it through, and I'll do the same for myself."

Shira's face pulled back into a sneer, and she murmured. "Suit yourself, Jade."

She turned, and Force-leapt up towards the balcony, leaving Mara standing alone amongst the Mon Calamari as Ackbar announced their victory, the non-humans crying their victory at the top of their voices.

Ooo

Rickton swung his axe at Luke, who ducked and leaned back onto one hand, his ignited light-sabre pointed away from his body as he kicked out skilfully, striking the Bothan in his stomach, before pushing himself back into a one handed stand, flipping onto his feet once again, only to see the axe fly towards him. Ducking low, Luke let it pass over him, before raising himself and making to swipe at Rickton, only to find the Bothan's strong grip around his 'sabre wrist, turning the blade away from them.

Luke felt his fist get slammed into his stomach, and cried out, gagging as Rickton's punch knocked the wind out of him, before the Bothan twisted his wrist and made Luke release his grip on the light-sabre, the metal cylinder clattering somewhere into the dark. Rickton laughed, and threw Luke by the arm into a set of boxes, making the boy flip and land behind them, crouching low. Sensing Rickton get close, Luke jumped up and Force-pushed one box towards him, hearing it clatter as it struck Rickton in the arm, before repeating the manoeuvre with another box, following it closely and leaping through the air.

Rickton yelled as Luke wrapped his legs around his waist, and grabbed the Bothan by a patch of tufted fur on the side of his head, pulling it to the side and ramming his fist into the side of his face continuously, hearing a crack as he broke the nose. Rickton flailed, before grabbing Luke by the arm- the one that held Rickton's head- and throwing the boy to the ground. Rolling to avoid the heavy foot that descended towards him, Luke rolled over his shoulder into a crouch and reached behind him, grabbing a dish and smacking it over the Bothan's face when it leered before him, before forcing his hands out and slamming them against the chest, Force-pushing him back against the throne.

Opening himself up to the Force, Luke felt his power get drawn to the Holocron, and for a moment, he felt a boost inside him, an increase in his strength that made him feel _invincible_. Gritting his teeth, Luke rushed towards Rickton and kicked off, flipping and kicking the Bothan in the face, watching as he was thrown across the room once again, landing in a defensive crouch, glaring at the Bothan, teeth gritted and hearing his knuckles crack as Luke enclosed his right hand in a fist, building up the Force energy inside his arm, ready to expel it or choke the Bothan, break his neck...

The anger that had been building up inside Luke was now at boiling point, and he was ready to unleash that rage inside him, all the pressure he had endured, all the stress from the past few days now finally starting to over-ride everything inside him; all his teachings at the hands of Obi-Wan was now thrown out the window, and he forgot to take calming breaths, to ease his problems with control over his Force powers.

Rickton seized the brief hesitation to grab a pistol and open fire on Luke, the apprentice kicking off and flipped away and behind a table, kicking it onto its side and hiding behind it. He took some steady breaths, closing his eyes for a moment as he tried to clear his mind, before reaching out with the Force, searching for his light-sabre.

"Come on," He whispered. "Where are you... I need you..."

He immediately felt it in the dark, a beckoning presence towards him, and threw his hand out, summoning it and hearing it fly through the air. Turning and leaping into the air, Luke grabbed the metal hilt in his hand and ignited it, bringing the azure blade down and parrying a shot towards his chest at the same time, slashing the pistol in half and then aiming for Rickton's other arm, missing the target of his shoulder and separating the arm from the elbow instead, making Rickton cry out in pain.

_He's not really much of a challenge..._ Luke couldn't help but think, and slashed at Rickton's chest, narrowly missing. Gritting his teeth, Luke continued to slash and cut at the Bothan, giving him no room to manoeuvre effectively, forcing the creature into a corner. Pushing his hand out, Luke tore his legs from under him, and twirled the azure blade into a back hand, holding the Bothan in a Force choke, strong enough to keep hold and keep him steady, but weak enough to allow some breathing and the ability to speak.

"Give me one good reason to not kill you now," Luke said through his teeth.

"I... Am... Only trying... To make... A living..." Rickton gasped, his remaining hand clasped at his throat.

"By killing innocent people?" Luke demanded. "Well, I have one thing to say to you. Under the laws imposed upon the Galactic Republic and the Rebel Alliance following those rules, you're to be tried for those crimes."

Rickton glared at him, breathing quickly, and hissed. "You... Are just... A Boy..."

"I am also a Jedi apprentice," Luke retorted. "Now, I'm going to let you down, and if I were you, I'd follow every order I give you, and we will head out to the Mon Calamri outside."

Rickton nodded, and Luke cautiously let him down, his eyes watching every move closely as Rickton slowly passed by him, before following behind him, his light-sabre still activated and ready should anything happen in the next few moments, which were now very crucial to Luke; if he managed to get Rickton out onto the balcony and towards the Mon Calamari then he could rest easily and can look forward to returning home..

Then, he found himself crying in pain, and lurched back as Rickton's knife slashed his 'sabre arm, the Bothan managed to get it in his moment's thought wandering, and stumbled back, hand over the wound; it pulsed under his hand, blood gently soaking his skin and sleeve as it slowly streamed down his arm. He pulled his head back as Rickton aimed for his neck, the tip of the knife striking his collar instead, and stumbled, knocking his light-sabre as it struck the ground and damaged the power cell inside, shutting the blade off.

"So, boy," Rickton sneered, holding the knife in his remaining hand. "It's time for you to die!"

Rickton slammed his boot into Luke's chest, making the boy yell, before raising his remaining hand containing the knife. Luke knew this was it; this was his death, and there was nothing he could do to stop the knife, even if he used the Force, the chances of him gathering it towards him in a controlled measure now fastly depleting.

He raised his hand in a vain attempt to plead with Rickton, eyes closed and hunched up, feeling his emotions run high; he would never see Obi-Wan, Sara and Revan again, never to train with them, to share the meals with them, to have that family again. The love he felt towards them now filling his body, his mind, his soul...

Luke felt something unusual happening inside him, and he gazed up towards Rickton in slow motion as the knife slowly descended, the veins and nerves inside his arm tingling as the Force worked through it, and for a moment, he thought he saw a green tinge inside his skin, before suddenly, green arches of lightning erupted from his finger-tips, surging through towards RIckton, and coursing through his body. The Bothan screamed, writhing before him, as Luke increased the power of the lightning, feeling the Force work through him, and the Bothan's heart and nervous system starting to get destroyed under the strength that Luke was applying...

With a strangled gasp, the Bothan keeled over dead, landing on the ground before Luke. Feeling the lightning receed, Luke lay there, breathing heavily and trying to gather himself before making a movement, staring at Rickton in case he made some sort of motion that would jeopardize Luke's life any further; when the Bothan didn't move, Luke scanned him with the Force, and found no heart-beat, no brain activity, his organs fried completely by the lightning that Luke had expelled into him. Heaving a shaky breath, Luke stood up, summoning his light-sabre into his hand and shakily placing it on his belt.

Slow applause sounded, and Luke spun around to face the door, his face paling when he saw Shira standing there, clapping slowly, her yellow eyes focused on Luke.

"Bravo," She said her voice high and cold. "An amazing feat, worthy of recognition in both the Jedi and Sith Orders themselves. However," A grin appeared on her face. "After today, you will be forgotten... And I will ascend!"

She reached for her light-whip, but Luke was slightly faster; his light-sabre was ignited, and slashed upwards against her right side of the face, making Shira scream when he caught her right eye, blood splattering on her face and onto the ground. Seizing his chance, Luke ducked behind her, and pushed out, expelling the Force in a powerful push and sending her slamming into the throne and through the wall, hearing her scream as she slammed right into the engine room, smacking into the reactor and causing the flames inside to consume her.

Luke shielded his gaze as Shira screamed, and raised his hand, the holocron flying towards it and being enclosed inside, before he turned and rushed towards the balcony, looking over to see the Mon Calamarian ship descend towards the platform, lowering ropes down towards the non-humans. Ackbar turned his great head towards Luke, seeing him with one great eye, and called.

"Commander Skywalker, come!"

Luke nodded, and flipped down, landing easily on the ground and rushing towards Kyle, but paused, staring around for some sign of Mara; where was she? Was she already on the ship, waiting for him?

"Luke, come on, we gotta go," Kyle said. "Before this ship explodes; no doubt that crash was from the reactor."

"Yeah; I pushed Shira into the reactor room," Luke said. "The flames engulfed her. I think she's dead. But where's Mara?"

Kyle placed a hand on his shoulder. "Luke..."

"Listen, we got no time for chit chat," Ackbar retorted, pushing the pair forwards. "Now, come on! Get aboard the ship or we all go down, now!"

Luke stared one last time around the ship, before thinking. _Mara... I'm sorry..._

He grabbed hold of the rope, and swung his legs on the rope, climbing up it and towards the ship, Kyle following close behind him, while Ackbar took the rope next to them. With one short burst of Force strength, the two Jedi apprentices climbed the last few metres of the rope and landed in the opened area of the ship, waiting for Ackbar to clamber up the last few feet, and gently taking the Mon Calamari by the arms to help him up.

"Commander Skywalker!" Ackbar said, pushing towards him and Kyle. "I have some distressing news!"

"Whats wrong, Admiral?" Luke asked, seeing the worry on his features.

"Commander, it's about your Master," Ackbar said shakily, before placing a hand on his shoulder. "It's... He's missing."

"Missing?" Luke shouted. "What... HOW?"

"He was trying to find you, and ended up... We don't know how, but he got captured by the Empire."

_The Empire... Oh no! What have I done, getting myself into that stupid dare! Poor Sara and Revan!_

Glancing one last time back at the ship, still hovering in the sky, Luke closed his eyes and turned his head away, trying to shake the horrific news of his Master, and the image of what he had just witnessed with Shira out of his head; he couldn't help but think that the events that had occurred over these past few days had sealed their fate, their relationship.

Shira Brie- now Lumiya, apprentice of Darth Vader- was his arch nemesis, and if she had survived, Luke Skywalker knew that she would seek revenge for burning her alive on the ship.

Ooo

Mara Jade knelt on the beach, having safely managed to land on the sand by using almost all of her Force energy, leaving her exhausted and pale from the action. Raising her head, Mara saw the ship that the Rebels had used slowly drift into the air and blast off, taking the Jedi apprentices with them, and towards their fleet should they be nearby, even for a few brief moments to receive them, before leaving in case the Empire showed up.

Taking Luke Skywalker with them.

Mara raised her hand to her cheek, and closed her eyes, remembering the kiss that he had placed on it when she had saved his life from Rickton not too long ago, caught in his grip around his throat. Maybe she should not have spared him; maybe she should have killed Luke and shown to Palpatine what she was truly capable of being a superb apprentice to him.

Sensing something, Mara raised her gaze towards the sky, seeing and hearing an explosion from inside the ship, jumping to her feet and her eyes widening as she saw something falling towards the surface, gradually speeding up as it came closer towards the beach. Shielding her head, Mara leapt back just as it crashed to the ground, before turning her head and looking towards the crater left behind.

Standing there, her clothing torn and in shreds, the dark cloth making her look more majestic, yet sinister. Her skin had torn on her jaw and side of her face, revealing the strong metal structures underneath, and her arm had wires strapped into her collar. Her legs also looked metallic, and her hands were claw-like now, threatening, the metal extending part way up her right arm, and completely up her left arm, a scar curling on her right side, with fresh gashes on her other side, extending down over her hip. Burns lined some of her skin, but already healing over, and her scarlet eyes turned towards Mara, a cold look on her face. Running a finger over her light-whip, Shira turned her eyes towards the disappearing ship.

"Next time we meet, Skywalker, you'll pay for this."

"He... He did that to you?" Mara gasped.

"Yes," Shira turned to her. "And I am not Shira Brie anymore, Mara Jade. I am Lumiya, Sith apprentice to Darth Vader- future Dark Lady of the Sith!"


	80. Part V, Chapter 16

_DEATH STAR  
><em>

The cruisers that made up Darth Vader's fleet appeared from the depths of hyperspace, slowing their speed completely as they acclimatised for a moment, venturing further towards the planet of Naboo that was before them. It was still green, still beautiful, to Vader, after all these years; down there, buried in Theed, was his wife, forever sleeping, forever will she never look upon him in the living world. But this had a dual purpose, this wonderous planet- it was also the burning place of Qui-Gon Jinn, his ashes scattered across the sky from the Palace, mixing with the wind and disappearing from the view of the boy that was Anakin Skywalker.

Vader placed his hands behind his back, his helmet sometimes moving as he watched the TIE fighters zoom past, his eyes focused upon them until they disappeared from view, from the viewing window, before he decided to turn around and walk down the gang-way, heading out of the bridge, ignoring the gazes of his subordinates and pacing through the corridors. Removing his hands from behind his back, Vader strode towards the elevator, using the Force to flick a button to open the door, before stepping in and pressing for the detention level. Watching the lights of the passing floors dwindle just outside the door, Vader closed his eyes underneath his helmet, seeking comfort from the Dark Side of the Force before he endured the conversation that he was about to have.

_At last, I have him in my grasp. Now, I can make him suffer at all costs, make him see what he has done to me, but first, I want him to see what the Rebels did not. Our prized weapon._

The lift chattered to a hault, and the doors opened before Vader, revealing the control panels of the group of troopers that were commanding them, the commanding officer looking up at him. He started, before saying. "Lord Vader! We weren't expecting you-."

"You can save the pleasantries, officer," Vader said. "I am here to see our Jedi prisoner."

"Yes, my Lord," The officer said, trying to match Vader's stride as the Sith moved down the corridor towards the end cell. "We have him secured with binders and inhibitors, just in case he tries anything."

"You will also post guards outside his cell twenty-four hours," Vader ordered. "I do not wish for this Jedi to escape _under any circumstances._ Is that understood?"

"Yes, my Lord," The officer said, and beckoned a few storm-troopers to follow, the white-armoured men hastily walking towards them and stepping behind them. "We will take extra precautions."

"Good; Inquisitor Jerec will be arriving soon to help escort the prisoner to the Emperor's Palace on Naboo," Vader said. "Be sure that you are ready to greet him, or there will be consequences. I am not as lenient as many of the Disciples that I am in charge of."

"Yes, my Lord," The officer said, trying to quell the fear that was in his voice. They soon arrived at the cell, to which the officer took a key-card from the hook beside the door, and swiped it against the scanner, opening the door, before replacing it back; they had to be careful with the Jedi. Should they have entered the cell with the key card, they would have lost it straight away, regardless of the inhibitor. This Jedi was particularly craft, and they needed to be sure that they took all the necessary measures to ensure that he remained inside the cell, and if outside, they were able to make him move around without any attempts to escape.

As the doors open, they saw a man hanging from the ceiling by his wrists, wearing unusual clothing that consisted of layers of cloth, with armour on his lower arms, and brown boots with tucked in beige breeches. The under-tunic was white- different to what Vader had last seen him in- and his greying red hair was trimmed shorter, with the fringe falling over his eyes, which looked up towards him.

"Hello, Obi-Wan," Vader greeted. "I apologize for the treatment I have given you at our meeting, but it was necessary for you to be captured; it's not every day that a Rebel leader walks into my clutches so willingly and easily."

"And here I thought you had some decency," Obi-Wan replied, his voice softened with age. Vader had to admit that Obi-Wan has aged well; he had more greys at his temples and in his hair, but the lines were not as many, and only his voice had diminished slightly with age, becoming softer, but still having a slight tone towards it. "Some goodness left in you."

"When you had finally admitted to me about the existence of Luke, I had no choice," Vader said. "And you promised me fifteen years ago that you would let me see him."

"I decided against it," Obi-Wan managed to shrug, despite his bindings. "I decided I didn't want to scar the poor boy, over what a monster I had exposed him to."

The officer shifted beside Vader, but the Sith shook his head, turning back towards Obi-Wan. "I have managed to glimpse a view of your family; your wife, and your... Son. You have a son now; how would you feel if you had the chance to see him, but now couldn't?"

"I understand," Obi-Wan began, but Vader interrupted him.

"No, you don't; you had held him at birth, watched him grow up," Vader retorted. "I asked for one glimpse, even at a distance, of my son. And you denied me that."

"I had no choice; Luke isn't ready to know the truth of what his Father had become," Obi-Wan answered calmly. "Luke isn't ready to know that his Father had become a monster."

Vader's hand twitched next to his light-sabre, but he with-held and kept his temper at bay; no, he wasn't going to give Obi-Wan the satisfaction of a swift death. He had so much to see when they left the cell, once the fleet had turned a half-orbit around Naboo and towards the edge of the system, where the prized weapon would be awaiting their arrival, before Obi-Wan was taken down to the Emperor's Palace by the Inquisitor when he arrived. And then, and only then, Vader will attempt to kill him, and take his revenge on Obi-Wan for everything he had done to him. Glancing towards his former Master, Vader said.

"What will your son do when he finds out you're captured, at my mercy?"

"Knowing my boy, he would take it as calmly as possible for a teen," Obi-Wan answered. "And then my family will plan what to do, and kick your metallic suit to the twin sons of Tatooine, where you were born."

Vader stared at him for a moment, before saying. "Let him down, but keep him bound."

Storm-troopers approached Obi-Wan, and began untying him, before Vader activated his comm. link and ordered. "Are we nearing our destination?"

_"Yes, my Lord,_" An answer came from the depths. "_The station is actually moving towards us, my Lord, so we will arrive before our scheduled time."_

"Good; I am bringing the prisoner up to the bridge. Make sure we have guards up there to ensure no possible or attempt at escaping," Vader shut his comm. off before the officer could answer, and turned to the now released Jedi, who was held at blaster point by at least four of the Storm-troopers, and barked. "Follow me."

The group moved out the cell, and down the corridors, heading towards the elevator. Pressing a button, the group entered the lift and allowed it to ascend, everyone silent, before they began their long trek towards the bridge of Vader's flagship, Obi-Wan staring around in all directions, impressed yet fearful at the technology and the craftsmanship of the vessel; there was no vessel of their own that could counter the fire-power that this Star Destroyer could no doubt utilize against their fleet. Already, Obi-Wan was finding tactics erupt into existence, pinning obvious weakpoints in the structures, and where the turrets were not visible. However, that did not mean that the vessel didn't have heightened shields where the ship was lacking in fire-power.

They continued their walk until Obi-Wan saw the command bridge up ahead, the group behind him leaving him be, and Vader now leading him towards the edge of the bridge and towards the viewing port. Standing beside the colossal form, Obi-Wan gazed out into the darkness of space, confusion starting to seep into his features; why were they here?

"Keep looking, Master," Vader said, not even glancing at him. "And you shall see what weapon the Empire has built; soon, we shall destroy any fleet of the Rebel Alliance, and take back what was rightfully ours, and if any planet stands in our way. We shall annihilate them."

Obi-Wan's eyes widened. "In order to do that, you would need the fire-power of every ship in the Empire! There is no weapon capable of doing something like that!"

"No weapon, bar this one," Vader waved towards the darkness. "And we are nearing it."

Obi-Wan peered back at the stars, trying to find some indication of this so-called "weapon" that could destroy planets; for a moment, he had hoped that Vader had finally lost his mind, and that there truly was no weapon that could destroy the Rebels, that could annihilate planets with one blast...

Then, he saw it.

Obi-Wan's mouth hung open as he saw the "weapon", only it was... He had not words to describe it! It was the size of a moon, and in some cases, the colour of a moon, and at first glance would have been mistaken as such, but what made it different were the many breaks along the diameter, where hangar-bays were visible, capable of holding many fighters and shuttles at one time. The Rebels had thought that the super Star Destroyers were the worst of the lot, having much of the fleet to take them down or a few bombers if they struck true at the bridge and shield generators.

"Behold, my Master," Vader sounded beside him. "The new Imperial weapon- the Death Star."

Ooo

Luke sat in the command centre, staring at the wall opposite him, his light-sabre in one hand as he thought over what he had been told, over how he couldn't help but think that this was his fault; Obi-Wan had left to find him, had left and strayed into Empire territories, and was now captured by the Empire itself, probably being tortured right now, maybe even...

_No, I can't think like that,_ Luke scolded himself. _I gotta stay strong for Obi-Wan. I'm going to find him._

Luke raised his head, and stared towards the enlarged map of the galaxy that was above his head, highlighted with the territories, and the last known location of Obi-Wan and his journey highlighted in yellow, straying from the Home Base and outwards into the third ring belt before them, the centre highlighted with the Empire's colour. Raising a finger, and then his arm, Luke traced the line of his Master's journey towards the planet, and paused, his finger touching the last spot, his gaze now a frown as the location appeared on a screen near him.

Nar Shadda.

Luke tossed his light-sabre with one hand and caught it, before replacing it on his belt and walking out, deactivating the holo with one wave of his hand, and pacing through the corridor and towards the common room; if Shaak was right, and they needed a strike team, the apprentices were capable and not as easily recognisable as the Masters were themselves.

Pausing outside the common room, Luke took a deep breath, before pushing the door open and entering to see the five Jedi he had asked to join him on the mission.

Kyle was there, alongside Kenth Hamner, Corran Horn, Kam Solusar and Tionne, a new comer that had already been trained in combat, a young teenager that Luke originally didn't want to come with them; despite her apparent training in combat, in atheletics, Luke didn't feel she was ready for something this big. Marris had started to train her, but despite that, Luke just wasn't sure that she could handle the mission, even if it ended up easy.

"Hey, Skywalker," Kyle said. "We're ready to go."

"Yeah, where are we going?" Corran asked.

"We're off to Nar Shadda," Luke answered. "We need to find clues there, and see if Obi-Wan left some indication of what and where he was going; there's no doubt that he'll have been captured by the Imperials, and if the Emperor gets his mitts on him, and extract the intel on the Rebel Alliance..."

"Right, let's get going!" Kam said, jumping out of the seat he was sitting in. "What ship we taking?"

"Going to take a rescued ship," Luke answered. "Was used during the Clone Wars by my Father and Obi-Wan, during some of their violent rescue missions."

"Is it safe?" Tionne asked.

"Yeah; it's been upgraded," Luke answered. "Me and my Master have been upgrading it over the years; it's more... Retro, you could say."

Kyle grinned, despite the ones that were his friends snorting, and said. "Right, let's get going, Skywalker! Lead the way!"

Luke grinned, seeing the confusion on the others- who believed they were rivals- and led the team out of the common room and down the corridor, heading towards the hangar-bay. Luke couldn't wait to try this new version of the ship out; it had taken a while to piece the old bucket of bolts back towards, and now, with the new name of _Twilight II,_ Luke couldn't wait for it to be tested on it's first mission since the Clone Wars.

When they stepped into the hangar, Luke raised his gaze towards the new ship, and smiled at the gasps of his accomplices.

The bridge had remained the same, but the compartment behind where the boxes had been stored was now extended and fitted with a larger sleep area, medical room, sitting area with some small fridges and cooking machines for food, and two refreshers- one for male and one for female occupants. The bridge had more modernised technology, and the wings were curved near the end, with gun implacements like the X-Wings, and missile holders should they be stocked, the engines held at a safe distance from the wings and the ramp area. Raising his hand, Luke touched the code for the ramp to be activated, and led the others up when it was lowered, heading to the bridge while the others got ready for the launch, sitting on the seat and starting it up.

Staring out at the stars, Luke flicked some switches and started the ship up, hearing the door open behind him, and gazed around to see Kyle taking the co-pilot seat.

"Ready?" He said.

"Ready as can be," Luke answered, buckling themselves in, before he activated the intercom. "Guys, buckle in; we're ready to go."

Kyle flicked some switches, and the pair slowly guided the ship up off the floor, and out of the hangar, before it blasted out of the main Rebel ship, and past the large fleet, towards the edge of the system.

With one pull of the lever, the ship disappeared into the tendrils of hyperspace.


	81. Part VI, Chapter 1

_Summary: Following his now missing Master's trail, Luke Skywalker and a strike team of Jedi apprentices search high and low in the Galaxy to find him, and rescue him from the clutches of Darth Vader. However, their actions on the way cause major repercussions for the Rebel Alliance at large, and the stalemate that had erupted between them and the Empire._

_In order to save the Alliance and the Galaxy itself, Luke must face his past, present and Future so that he could defeat the Emperor and Vader, but with a shocking secret to be revealed, it will shake his faith in everyone and everything he holds dear to him._

_With time running out, and the destructive Death Star nearing operation, Luke, Leia and two crafty smugglers have very little time to save the Alliance, the Galaxy- and the Balance of the Force itself._

* * *

><p><em>BOOK SIX: SON OF SUNS<em>

_THE SOOTHSAYER_

_"There was no light, but darkness in the beginning. No life but Death. Nothing but eternal Darkness._

_"But like all things, these must come to an end; out of the Darkness was born a light, expelling the evil that had formed, and thus life was started, the Force in eternal balance and freedom, rising high and succeeding, forming civilisations, and followers born were sometimes gifted with the powers of the Force._

_"But, the Darkness was starting to rise again, plaguing the minds and hearts of any, even the Gifted, and thus, the Sith were born out of the Jedi- Guardians of the Galaxy. For millennia, war was waged between them, one trying to defeat the other permanently, or defeat them by turning them to each others side._

_"Out of their conflict, a child came to being; a being born of the Force. He will bring Balance to the Force, bring Peace to the Galaxy, and destroy the Sith, but with the son, the Jedi shall truly return. Powerful, like his Father, he shall rise higher than any other Jedi."_

So locked in her reading, she didn't hear the sounds of the Stormtroopers rushing through the poor village towards her hut, their armour clanking violently, only getting louder the closer they approached the home she resided in. Trailing a sharp nail down the page of ancient texts, the elderly woman stared at the words- the ancient runes- blankly, as though all sight had been removed from her eyes, but she knew she didn't need eyes; she had the Force to aid her in her vision, drifting feebly through her.

The Troopers were getting closer to her, but she made no effort to move, as there was no point in doing so; her aged frame would not handle it at all. Raising another hand and tracing it over the parchment that were thrown over the desk before her, the elderly woman whispered, over and over again.

"Death Star... Death Star... Death Star..."

Her quil scratched on the parchment, eyes blind, and began to draw a spherical shape; she draw terrified faces of different species, of debris around it, before she accompanied it with lines exploding from it in a basic drawing of a ray, as though destroying some unseen object that she had only seen in her mind. Tracing a finger over it again, the elder whispered the words once again.

"Death Star... Death Star..."

Her Force senses told her more, and her eyes widened, the colours of the irises now revealed; they were a white, the pupils silvery and nearly swallowed by the irises and the whites of her eyes, displaying her blind state, but the markings on her face depicted a dead language, one that had not been used for generations.

She knew that, outside, the villagers were trying to stop the Stormtroopers, but with their primitive weapons and no armour, they didn't last against the rifles, and the armour of the army of the Empire protected them against the axes and the spears that were used against them. A dark presence in the Force told her that a greater threat was approaching, and her blind eyes were raised instantly towards the entrance to her straw hut, waiting for the individual to appear.

"Balance... Balance is the key..." The elder whispered, her quil scratching again on a piece of paper. "The Chosen will return... Light will return... But a sacrifice must be made..."

The entrance to the hut was blasted open, but she did not flinch, blind eyes staring upwards towards the source. She had the Force telling her who and what was happening; that a whip had caused the destruction, and the individual stood there, coiling it around her right arm, deactivated, clothed in nothing but dark cloth, with even her hair covered, and only her eyes visible through the vail that was there, a blinding yellow shadw.

"She has arrived..." The Elder whispered, and she stopped sketching.

The picture was of four individuals; one young male stood in the centre, a female at his right, an older male on his left, and a large, hairy creature before the centre male. All four had different features, different poses, that made them very unique.

The boy had his light-sabre held high with both hands, ignited, and his hair a mess around his features, wearing sophisticated clothing, whereas the girl wore a full bodied uniform, and boots, her hair tied back, a pistol raised and ready. The older male looked to be a pirate, with messy hair and a pistol, but the hairy creature was a wookie, crossbow ready.

"I have," A cold voice sounded from the depths of the vail. "And I have been sent here to take you to my Master, soothsayer."

"I have been awaiting this moment," The elder replied softly. "For _him_ to come and find me, having not knowing what to do about the situation that is vast approaching; his downfall!"

"And you will help him overturn that sentence," The cold voiced individual stepped forwards, as a couple of troopers appeared behind them. "You will tell him what is to come, so that he will change it."

"I shall not."

"I didn't say you had any choice!"

She gave a wave with her hand, and the troopers strode forwards, grabbing the elder by the arms and hoisting her up, dragging her towards the ruined entrance of her hut. The smell of death erupted into her nostrils as she felt her feet get scraped across the ground, and a few times, she struck the limb of a deceased individual.

Coughing a bit at the smoke that filled her lungs, the elder raised her head and focused with the Force, trying to see through it instead of her eyes.

Instead, she saw nothing but darkness, no light, just how it all began in the Force. Fear gripped her heart, and she whispered a prayer to the skies, wondering if this was how it would end as once again; with the destruction of the Light users, and the ascension of those of the Dark Side.

Sensing the individual coming from behind, and the flutter of the parchment in their hands, the elder turned her head around, and whispered. "Be careful with that... My work..."

"I know," That cold voice sounded again. "And I assure you, the Emperor will be very interested in each and every bit of it; I shall take it to him as soon as we arrive at his new battle station in the Naboo system."

The elder suddenly realised where she was going to; the first drawing was coming true, of that spherical object that hung in the skies, terrifying everyone and everything that saw it. Shuddering slightly at it, the elder realised then and there that the first part of the journey was about to begin for her, one that should end with the annihilation of the Empire, but what had happened today with the Stormtroopers, she had _not_ forseen it; now, the events will be changing, and she only hoped that her source on Naboo has prepared for the consequences in this vital misjudgement on her part.

Feeling her bare feet clip a metal edge, and then nothing but that composition, the elder shuddered a bit at the cold, before being pushed down into a seat and hearing the click of a belt that sealed her in her temporary prison. Her gnarled hands shook for a moment, and she bowed her head, wondering if there was any way she could escape this prison before it flew into the sky and she was gone, but against _Her_, she stood no chance, as her power was greater than her own, bar for the fact that the elder could see the Future.

No, not just the future, but the past, present, as well as the future, all that was, and all that ever will be. And right now, all she could see was the darkness in the future; without her guide, the Son shall not live up to complete what she had forseen last before her taking, before her kidnap at the hands of the Sith's loyal dogs. She can only hope that the training the Son had endured with the Master would be sufficient, and he didn't resolve to reckless actions to get where and what he wanted.

"_Prepare for takeoff,"_ A masculine voice sounded, electric and cold, like all the servants of the Sith.

The vessel underneath her vibrated, and she closed her blind eyes, feeling the ascension, and sucked in a breath; this was it, and now, there was no turning back for her.

Ooo

The trip didn't appear to be long for the Sith apprentice, and when the intercom announced their arrival in the Nubian system, she stood from her seat, and swiftly ordered the troopers to take the elder visitor towards her quarters, and stand guard until the Emperor saw fit to see her, and question her over the drawings that the apprentice had not managed to look over. So far, she had deciphered a few of the small sketches that the insane woman had drawn on the rough parchment, and found it incredibly interesting; it seemed that she had the gift of not just premonitions, but the gifts of looking right into the past, and see present choices. What an individual was doing that very second; she could draw or write about, and remarkably, would be right on target, something that would be vital to the Emperor.

Staring at the space station that was fast approaching, the Sith apprentice grinned at the state of completion; soon, the Rebellion would crumble against the might of the Empire, and be destroyed in one, swift blow, the Jedi extinct alongside them, or turned to their side when threatened with the destruction of Naboo should they refuse. Grinning, the Sith apprentice turned and approached the ramp, hearing the engines dull down a few tones as the vessel began to land in the hangar, other ships around it, signalling that there were officers now stationed on the Death Star.

Walking down the ramp as it lowered, the apprentice moved past the white armoured troopers and towards the corridors without another word, her mouth curling into a smirk underneath her scarf, as she moved towards the elevators that were finally finished. Pressing a button, the apprentice stepped inside, and pressed another button for the top floor, where the miniature throne room for the Emperor had been built, with a glass deck for him to survey the construction of the remainder of the Death Star, his throne bolted to the centre of the raised platform; she had been there a few times to witness the construction, since she had returned a few weeks ago from her failed mission.

Closing her eyes, the apprentice clenched the parchment between her hands tightly, before realising that it was in danger of ripping, and relaxing her grip, feeling the lift trundle onwards, before opening her eyes as she felt the ascension slow, and the low hum as the door slid open, admitting her into the chamber.

It was massive, with stairs opposite her, and shafts on either side of the elevator, plummeting towards the core below. Her eyes were drawn to the pair of red guards that stood on either side of the elevator door, and she hissed behind her shawl, before walking forwards, slowly stepping up the stairs and towards the two shadowy individuals that awaited her.

One stood, tall and menacing, a grating sound emitting from the helmet, a cape around his shoulders, whereas the other seemed swallowed by the throne, his gnarled and pale hands all that were visible and protruding from the shadows. When the one standing turned to face her, the apprentice dropped to her knee before him and bowed her head, whispering.

"Master."

"Rise, my apprentice," Darth Vader, Lord of the Sith and head of the Imperial army ordered.

The apprentice did so, her eyes surveying the shadowed figure, and bowed at the waist, keeping her eyes down.

"My Emperor."

"Lumiya..." The sneering voice sounded from the hood. "You have done well. I have heard of your success in capturing the Soothsayer, and her little sketches; you are to be commended, and I am glad that I had chosen a suitable individual in pursuing this mission."

"Thank you, my Lord," Lumiya raised her head and torso, reaching up and removing the clothing that hid her now tangled mess of hair, and gruesome scars that accented the left side of her face, revealing the metal that had replaced the bone underneath. "I have the parchment here."

"And have you managed to decipher any of it?"

"Yes, my Lord," Lumiya flicked them. "Some of it, like the basic drawings, I have managed. However, the more complex drawings, I have been unable to."

She approached the Emperor, and knelt at his side, gently handing the elderly man the parchment, watching as he carefully moved the pages behind one another, glancing and muttering, silence dominating them bar for Darth Vader's respirator, the Sith Lord gazing down at the parchment as well, although Lumiya knew that he held no interest in what was written on the old paper that his Master was carefully reading. Lumiya glanced at the drawings and the arubesh, interest in her pale green eyes as she recognised numerous drawings, mostly of the Death Star, or of key events.

The Emperor turned the final page, to reveal a newer, slightly smudged drawing, bearing four individuals; Lumiya recognised three as human, and one as a Wookie, all carrying weapons. Her lips curled when she recognised one that resembled Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan, but the Wookie and pirate-like man were unfamiliar to her, individuals she had never met.

The fourth one made her blood boil; the old woman had captured his facial features well. She had captured his full bottom lip, the high cheek bones, the messy hair and straight nose, but the eyes were drawn with that expression of serenity, of calmness and patience that she had come to hate with every fibre of her being. He held his light-sabre high in the air, and wore a uniform different to what she had seen him wear a few weeks ago; one in similar style to the officers, but lacking the sophistication and grand appearance, looking plain and uninteresting.

"Luke Skywalker," Vader's voice sounded shocked, and full of... _Pain. _"What is the meaning of this drawing?"

"It is obvious, Lord Vader," The Emperor traced an elongated nail down the drawing. "That these four are held in high interest by the Soothstayer. Gather the Inquisitors; I have need of their talents, both in this area of expertise, and in breaking our Jedi prisoner. His interrogation has gone on long enough."

"Yes, my Master," Vader replied, bowing his head for a moment. "I admit, he has been... Difficult, to break, but we are getting there, my Master."

"As I have said, Lord Vader, his interrogation has gone on long enough," The Emperor spat. "I will _not_ have this Jedi make a fool out of the Sith!"

"My Lords," Lumiya started, slow in her speech. "Maybe, we should wait and hold off the interrogation. This capture could be very beneficial."

"How so, Child?" The Emperor demanded.

"Because, my Lords," Lumiya grinned under her scarf. "If one Jedi is taken that is important, then the others will do anything possible to try and rescue them; soon enough, we shall have not only one Jedi, but the remainder of the Jedi Order in our grasps! Imagine what we could do as a result; with this station, we could annihilate the whole Alliance, and the Jedi Order with one shot! All we have to be right now is patient, my Lords."

The Emperor was silent, taking in those words, before he grinned and then cackled. "Yes, my Child, yes! You are right; the Jedi Order will come to rescue their comrade if he is subjected to our torturing long enough, if they feel his pain and suffering! Soon, they will come here, and right into our hands; before long, the Rebel Alliance and the Jedi Order will be destroyed, and the Sith will reign supreme in this Galaxy!"


	82. Part VI, Chapter 2

_EVACUATION  
><em>

Revan Kenobi raised his eyes towards the sky as the dark clouds gathered above his head, his slightly longer hair fluttering in the small breeze that had gently been blowing since that very morning. Heaving a sigh, he hugged his knees tighter to his chest, and rested his nose against them, staring over the forest and beyond towards the mountains he saw in the distance, albeit faint, and dyed a grey hue due to the distance and the clouds that formed over them.

Closing his eyes, Revan bit his lip, and tried to think about his Father, missing, and somewhere in the Galaxy; the Rebels knew that he had been captured by the Empire, and Luke had departed with a strike team of Jedi apprentices to find him, but the Empire never revealed anything too easily. That was their speciality, to keep them guessing, to make them work out their strategy , but fortunately, the stalemate was preventing anyone from attempting to fight back; and prolonging the peace that is needed right now for the Rebels to rebuild and repair their ships and bases.

_Father... Where are you? I need you._

Revan felt tears rise in his eyes, and they leaked out of the corners of his eyes; he and his Father never really got close, because he was away to war for the most of his childhood, but Revan still loved his Father, and he knew that Obi-Wan loved him back too. All Revan wanted was for his Father back, to be sitting beside him like they use to when Revan was a baby; that was a good memory.

He had begun to walk and talk, and was curious about the mountains in the distance, but wasn't allowed to venture out to see them as he was so young; his Father took him up to the top of the Temple he was now sitting on, rested him against his lap and chest, letting him see through some binoculars towards the mountains. Revan was disappointed in a way; they looked so majestic from a distance, but now that he saw them close up through the binoculars, he could only see giant pyramids of rock, sometimes distorted over the years, but Obi-Wan told him differently.

His Father said that the mountains symbolise more than just rock; they symbolise the age, the changing world, and that over the years, the mountains had built up, or fallen in height depending on the time changes. Revan didn't understand this at that time, but then Obi-Wan told him that the mountains are a symbol towards every race of sentients, every non-sentient in the Universe; that the mountains symbolise the ascension, the evolution, of every creature that Revan saw in his books. But also the increasing power that the Force drove everything, moved everything through the years.

Revan opened his eyes when he sensed his mother approaching, and glanced back towards her as she joined him, sitting down.

Sara's expression was of worry and fear, and no matter how hard she tried to calm herself down, and place an expression of control around the troops, Revan knew that she was worried for his Father; and she was unsure what to do without him. Without Obi-Wan Kenobi, Sarianna was lost, unsure what she _can_ do without his command, unuse to even giving orders without someone checking she was doing her job right.

"Don't worry, mother," Revan placed a hand on hers. "He'll turn up; he'll escape. He always does."

Sara was silent, staring at the horizon in the distance, before finally saying. "It won't be long, Revan."

"What won't be long?"

"Until the Empire comes here," Sara indicated the surroundings. "I'm going to call for an evacuation; if the Empire locates Home Base, we are in trouble, and have lost our territories. We don't know how long we have got."

"Mother, we're fine," Revan comforted. "We just gotta hope that Luke and the others find Dad before they break him, but I highly doubt that; he's tough, and he's strong."

"That doesn't matter," Sara replied. "We need to evacuate."

Revan sighed, and looked out over the horizon. "We can't jump to conclusions, mother."

"There are reports of an Imperial fleet heading towards us; they've slipped through our line of defence, and are heading this way."

Revan looked at her in fear, and shock. "How?"

"They have managed it," Sara whispered. "They've found a way to locate us through our incripted messages; we had a spy leak information towards the Empire, and they figured it out that our riddle to the admirals involve Yavin."

_We so needed a better riddle, it was too obvious anyway,_ Revan thought bitterly.

"I want you on a ship with the other youngsters and away," Sara continued. "The last thing I need is for them to capture you, the son of Obi-Wan Kenobi; they would torture you to make your Father turn, and he would break if you get hurt because of him."

"No, mother, I want to help," Revan protested.

"No, Revan; go pack your belongings," Sara replied, standing up. "Please; I can't bear anything happening to you as well."

Revan huffed; he was sixteen! He was an adult nearly! Why did he have to run away like a child? Why couldn't he fight? Yes, he wasn't as good as the others, but that didn't mean he couldn't help in some way!

Secretly, Revan began plotting; he could easily hide himself some way. He had been practicing Force illusions, and if he fooled his mother into believing that he was going onto a ship, he could steal some Rebel trooper armour and join the combat without his mother noticing.

He stood up, and followed his mother inside, secretly smirking at his idea; it was fool-proof! There was no way she would know about it, unless he accidentally got seen by any of the Jedi that were around at the time of the evacuation. Following his mother up towards their apartment, Revan pushed the front door open and rushed to his room to pack his belongings, hoping to ploy her into believing that he was listening to her words, shovelling clothes into the bag and grabbing a locket that his father had made for him out of his old light-sabre, with two minute crystals inside.

Revan opened it; he had this when he was little too. His father had used his old light-sabre from the Clone Wars and the early years of the Rebellion, but replaced it with a newer, more custimised one, with a combination of an unstable and stable crystals, giving a light aqua hue; his father wanted to use his former light-sabre to better use than just throwing it into a furnace, and thus, fashioned it into a locket for Revan to have when he was old enough. The buttons were clips now on the side, and Obi-Wan had shrunk the old colour crystal into a small one to be placed above his picture inside the locket, and Sara had done the same with her former crimson light-sabre; it was special to Revan, because it revealed the two very people that made him whole- and who he was.

Revan sat on his bed and stared into the pictures, tracing a finger around the edge, thinking, and wondering whether he would ever see his parents again after today; if his mother was fighting against the Empire when they arrive, and they were outnumbered, then the chances of him seeing her again would be much slimmer.

"Revan! Come on!"

Revan grabbed his belongings, and rushed out the room to see his mother clothed in different attire; it was a thick black combat outfit, and black boots, her blonde hair pulled up into a tight bun and the light-sabre on her belt accompanied by a pistol. She was all geared out for action, and Revan knew that this was one feature of his mother that had attracted his usually calm, serene father; she can be dangerous when she wanted to, a protector of the Jedi cause, even though she was no longer one.

"Mother, I can't leave you here..."

"You have to, my son," Sara placed her hands on Revan's shoulders. "Please, just do this for me."

Revan looked up into her eyes, chewing his lip; already, he was finding his intial plan to disguise himself difficult, especially when his mother used those last few words.

_Just do it for me._

That sounded like a goodbye to him; that sinking feeling in his heart...

He was probably never going to see her again.

"Mother, promise me you'll live," Revan pleaded with her, placing his hands on hers. "Please!"

"I'll do what I can, Revan Kenobi," Sara cupped his cheeks. "Now, will you go?"

"I can't! Not if you are willing to die for us! I can't!"

Sara sighed, and gently pressed her pointing and middle finger against Revan's jugular, using the Force to instantly press on a pressure point, and make her son feel weak limbed, falling against her. Holding Revan close to her, Sara kissed his temple, before laying him down on the couch, and commed Garen; she needed her son on the ship before the Empire arrived at Yavin.

Turning, Sara walked towards the front door and out into the corridor, sensing Garen approaching from her right, and turned to face him, giving a short nod. Garen walked into the apartment, and appeared with Revan slung over his shoulders, following Sara towards the hangar.

"I guess he didn't want to go quietly?"

"No, not at all," Sara said sadly, shaking her head. "I only hope that he stays on that ship, and is kept safe."

"He'll be alright," Garen hoisted Revan better over his shoulders. "He'll have Artoo-Deetoo with him."

"Ah, Luke's Droid," Sara nodded, as they entered the hangar bay; it was a flurry of activity, with pilots rushing to their X-Wing and Y-bombers, and evacuation ships everywhere, Jedi students and Rebel families being ushered on, and the Jedi Council members already beginning to send ships away.

Approaching the ship nearest to them, Sara and Garen walked up the ramp, being careful of Revan's head as they moved down the corridor and towards a free cabin, Sara opening the door and stepping aside to let Garen in first, the tall man depositing Revan carefully on the bed, before the pair stepped outside.

Sara gazed at her son- her only child- and shed a small tear, before closing the door and turning to Garen.

"Look after him, Garen; for me and Obi."

Garen smiled gently, and placed a hand on her shoulder, before replying. "You know I would. Any time, Sara, for I owe a lot to Obi-Wan for saving my neck these past forty years or so."

Sara smiled at him gently, before the pair bowed their heads and backed off, daring to not show their backs to one another in respect until they were a few metres away, and then Sara turned and walked back through the corridor, heading towards the ramp and down towards the Jedi Council members that were organising the troops for the assault should it arrive at the Temple.

"What's our report?" Sara asked Shaak Ti.

"We have reports of the Imperial cruisers entering the system," Shaak replied. "There are at least five of them, and with our forces spread throughout the Galaxy, we cannot call for aid in time; we have to fight them off ourselves."

Sara nodded, and said. "Get aboard a ship, Shaak; myself, Kento and Rahm can handle them. We need you to live to lead the students."

"Sara... I highly oppose your need to sacrifice yourself here," Shaak replied, worry in her voice. "The last option we need is to lose you; that'll just devastate Obi-Wan beyond anything else."

"I know," She whispered. "But I don't have an option, Shaak; he's gone. I have lost my bond with him the moment he disappeared; he could be dead."

Ooo

The Imperial cruisers that arrived over the Yavin system were massive Star Destroyers, and the one at the front was the commanding ship, containing a blind yet incredibly powerful Inquisitor by the name of Jerec, a former Jedi-turned- Sith.

His mission was clear; take the Home Base, capture Jedi if possible, but kill anyone that stood in his path, even if the Jedi refused to come quietly. Placing a hand on his light-sabre, Jerec's mouth curled into a grin, and he turned to face the black-armoured troopers behind him, and said.

"Form up; we're going down. Kill any troopers in your path, but stun any Jedi around; the Emperor has something special that he wants them to witness, and any killing will cause him to become most displeased. Am I understood?"

"Yes, lord Jerec," Came the reply.

Jerec grinned, and walked through them and out of the bridge, leading them down to the hangar bay, noting of the TIE Fighters that were getting ready to be deployed, massive bombers with them already slowly rising into the air.

Hearing his comm. link beep, Jerec lifted it to his mouth and responded.

"Yes?"

"_Lord Jerec, this is the bridge; there is a ship coming from Yavin IV's moon, followed by some X-Wings."_

Jerec paused, and extended his senses towards the oncoming vessel; if it contained no Jedi, there was no point in attacking the vessel. Capturing would be the immediate response to it, as Jerec felt that he needn't kill innocent people, but...

As he sensed the ship, he felt familiarity rise through him, a mixed signature that resembled much like the Jedi that was imprisoned by them, yet different. Focusing with the Force, Jerec used his Force powers to see what was on that ship, his eyes now aided by the Force to reveal to him the source of this power, this slight disruption, and found himself looking through the Force's waves.

Slowly, he guided himself towards the source, past the different people and towards a door, closed in his path, but with ease, he squeezed through the cracks between the door and the edge, appearing into a basic cabin with just a bed, a table and chairs.

And a sleeping boy in the bed.

Jerec focused on him, and almost gasped at the boy; he looked like Obi-Wan, but with lighter hair and a thinner frame! He knew from interrogations that Obi-Wan had become a father in the last decade and a half, but this...

He searched the boy discretely with the Force, checking that this was his son, and found a locket, containing two light-sabre crystals; he could sense them, crystals that emphasised the parents' energies more than ever.

Yes, this truly was Obi-Wan's son- his only heir.

Jerec pulled back, and turned to the nearest commander.

"Send out squadrons of TIE fighters and a boarding party; I want that vessel taken. Set your guns for stun, and capture a red haired boy, around about sixteen- alive."

"Yes, Lord Jerec," The commander replied, before turning and running to a large group of troopers that were the boarding parties, repeating orders at a loud barking voice. They saluted, and rushed into the gunships, ready, while Jerec turned to his main troops for the moon assault.

"Move on out!" Jerec ordered. "Prepare for an aerial assault!"

As soon as his voice rang through the hangar bay, explosions sounded, and TIE fighters began to ascend upwards, flying out the hangar doors as an X-Wing passed above them, firing continuously.

Finding it with the Force, Jerec focused and caught it in the Force, before crushing it completely and throwing it towards another that flew past.

This was delightful! The thirst for blood was already coursing through his veins, beckoning him to take more, to _feed_ the darkness inside him, and already he was hungry for Jedi blood.

The boy was nothing to him, though; he would leave him for Darth Vader.

Hearing the sounds of fighting as his ship followed the squadrons of TIE fighters, and seeing the devastation of the Rebel fighters around him, Jerec checked his light-sabre for the fight that he would soon be involved in, and the satisfaction he would get for killing the one person that Obi-Wan Kenobi held dear to him.

His beloved wife, Sarianna Kenobi.


	83. Part VI, Chapter 3

**Thank you to Darth Feanor for letting me use his OCs for this part of Exiled; Terin Ablag and Toria Cantara. I hope I've caught their personalities well.**

* * *

><p><em>THE PURGE RETURNS<br>_

Revan woke to the sounds of explosions and screams around him, and raised his head, blinking frantically before he swung his legs out of the bunk and tried to stand up, only to find his legs shake under his weight, unable to support him. Grasping for something, anything, Revan tried to balance himself before attempting to move towards the door, his hands braced against the wall, and using the Force to flick the switch at the wall and open the door to see chaos outside.

Smoke billowed down the corridor, and dark shapes were moving, multiple colours of light-sabres and lasers all that illuminated through the smoke. Revan coughed and looked towards his belt for his own weapon, grabbing his light-sabre and igniting the orange glow, darting out regardless of his dizziness and began to parry blows back as lasers headed straight towards him. Feeling the heat, the sizzling heat as lasers passed by him in inches, Revan focused on the Force, letting it guide his movements as he saw white appear through the smoke- Stormtroopers.

He felt someone's hand grab his arm, and jumped around to look in the face of Marris Brood, the Zabrak Knight sporting a gash on her shoulder, and her eyes wide in fear and worry.

"Revan, get to the main deck, and protect the younglings. Now!"

"What?" Revan protested. "No... I can help!"

"There's not much you can do here," Brood argued. "Go; you're the only one that can help them! Move!"

Revan looked at her in anger, but nodded, and turned to rush down the corridor, shutting off his light-sabre, passing an apprentice that fell, wounded heavily, to the ground. He froze and turned back, rushing towards them and grasping their hands, slowly pulling them up and trying to lift them onto his shoulders, pausing when he recognised the individual.

It was Cilghal, a Mon Calamarian Healer student, that was also the neice of Admiral Ackbar.

Wincing as he tried to lift her, Revan heard her gasp as he accidentally touched her wounded side, but ignored it; best get her out the line of fire first before treating her for any injury that she would have sustained just now. Gritting his teeth, Revan ran down the corridor, yelling for Rebel troops to get out his way as he moved, and turned right, where the smoke was less and wasn't clogging up his lungs.

Cilghal struggled slightly on his shoulders, protesting that she can walk, but Revan refused to move, refused to let her down, and kept running, coughing a bit less now that the smoke had depleted, but there was another danger rising through him.

He could sense the Dark Side, coldness in his soul, an aggression that he had not felt before, more powerful than anything else.

Revan shuddered; he had heard tales of this by the other Jedi, but not this way. Not this bad before; his Father had always told him that whenever he felt the Dark Side coursing through him and off an individual, Obi-Wan could tell the state, the level of the individual as such, as in how far he or she was in the Dark. But this...

Revan had no experience at all with any Dark Side users, and this one was big to him, more vicious than anything he had ever sensed before in his life.

Cilghal had sensed it too, because she had tensed on his shoulders, and raised her swollen head to look around them.

"We have to go. _Now,_" Her grating voice sounded in his ear.

"No kidding," Revan admitted, and he turned away from the source and ran, heading down a longer way towards the viewing deck, praying that there was nothing sinister awaiting them there, and they would be safe from any harm from the Stormtroopers and the dark individual.

Of course, being like his Father in that department, he always spoke or thought about safety a little too soon.

Blaster shots sounded over his head, and he whipped around to see a pair of Stormtroopers heading straight towards him; with a heavy and injured Mon Calamarian on his shoulders, Revan would not be able to fight so easily, and merely dropping the student would cause more damage to her and waste valuable time, which he was doing right this second!

The Stormtroopers raised their rifles, and said. "Surrender, Jedi scum."

Revan gritted his teeth, and Cilghal moved a bit, her webbed hand resting on his arm, sending him a calming message that plainly said that they should; slowly lowering Cilghal to the ground, Revan looked up at them and raised his hands, placing them behind his head and nodding.

"Alright. I surrender."

One trooper walked towards him, fishing out a pair of cuffs, and Revan held out his hands, wrists together and waiting for them to click into place.

Suddenly, there was a scream, and a little brown haired girl rushed out of the smoke, wielding a white-bladed light-sabre and slashing at the trooper nearest to Revan, cutting his arm clean off. When the other rushed forwards, Revan grabbed his weapon and ignited the orange blade, parrying the shots back, whilst the little girl disappeared back into the smoke, only to reappear from behind the trooper and lunge, grabbing him around the unprotected part of his neck, whilst a black haired boy tackled him to the ground.

_I guess that explains the terms "hugging to death",_ Revan thought sarcastically.

He glanced at Cilghal, and rushed to her side, checking the wound under her hand, before looking around to see the two children rush forwards towards him, worry in their hearts.

"She okay?" The boy asked, grabbing hold of Cilghal's hand. "She going to get better?"

"Is she going to die?" The girl quizzed Revan now.

"She's going to be fine," Revan replied, calming them. "You saved our lives, little ones. Thank you."

The two children beamed, and helped Revan as he pulled Cilghal up onto her feet, taking her arm and placing it around his shoulders, guiding her away from the two Stormtroopers, whilst the children rushed ahead. Rolling his eyes, Revan called.

"Don't go too far ahead!"

"We won't!" They chorused, looking back and rushing towards him. "What's your name?"

"I'm Revan, this is Cilghal," Revan replied. "And yours? You're new-comers, aren't you?"

"Yep!" The boy chirped. "I'm Terin. Terin Ablag."

"And I'm Toria," The girl said softly. "Toria Cantara."

"Terin and Toria," Revan repeated, wincing as Cilghal's claws at the end of her fingers sunk into his shoulder. "Nice names. Well, thanks for rescuing us two; we'd have been dead without you."

"It's okay!" Toria piped up. "We were running and running, those bad men were everywhere. We sensed you two and rushed to find you."

"And then... Then we saw them trying to arrest you," Terin continued on for her.

Revan sighed; he was lucky that the two had saved them from the situation that they were in just moments ago, but he felt as though his confidence and pride had been shattered, but that didn't matter anymore. They were alive, and that's all that mattered to him right now, as he didn't want to push them away in this situation, and he wasn't going to let them go right now.

Revan ran a hand through his hair, before turning to Terin and Toria, and saying.

"Listen, we need to get to the viewing deck, and then we get to the escape pods and off this rickety vessel."

Terin and Toria nodded, whilst Revan reached towards Cilghal, and gently lifted her into his arms again, as the smoke began to billow towards them from down the corridor, choking each of them in turn. Coughing, Revan carried Cilghal onwards, following Terin and Toria as they disappeared through the smoke in the Force, praying that his mother was safe back on Yavin.

Ooo

The Empire had broken through the so-called "defence" that the Rebels had installed to keep them out of the Home Base; it was nothing but make-shift barriers on the entrances, and the aerial defence was nothing but a few squadrons of X-Wings, easily taken down by the Cruisers that had now descended into the forest, crushing the trees and flattening the smaller flora and any animals that were underneath them, before the ramp slammed against the ground, and the troops and forest walkers appeared, immediately rushing towards the Rebel troopers that were waiting for them.

The fire-fight that had erupted was short, and the Rebels were overwhelmed by the growing numbers of Stormtroopers and their War machines that they had no chance; soon, their bodies littered the ground and the white-armoured individuals were moving forwards with ease, some going to place grenades against the stone doors and backing off, waiting for the command to blow the stone door off their hinges, startling the Rebels that were inside as well.

For Sara Kenobi, this battle had went from bad, to considerably worse, and they were incredibly outnumbered; and nothing that the Rebel commanders said to her would make her back off, until they broke through into one of the corridors and she was forced to flee, the Rebel troopers turning and firing upon the enemy as they entered through the smoke. But she could sense the darker presence coming towards them; an individual that bore more threat towards her than the Stormtroopers.

She saw him through the smoke; he was wearing dark robes, and had some sort of metal around his eyes, hiding them from view, with thinning grey hair that was falling out and making him bald. His light-sabre snapped into life immediately, the crimson light reflecting off the wall, and she made to do the same only to get pushed back by her troops as the commander called for a retreat, too over-whelmed to defend that corridor. As a result, Sara was forced backwards and towards the main command centre, where she immediately set to work, deleting everything of value on the computers, wiping them clean or destroying them so that the data would not be retrieved in any way possible.

She had to destroy the data that Luke Skywalker was away to Nar Shadda to find her husband; if the Sith got their hands on that, then Luke was in trouble, and he could find not one, not two, but an _army_ heading his direction to kill him. His safety was her priorty as well; Obi-Wan would never forgive her if she had willingly let the Empire find out about Luke's mission, and causing the Empire to transfer Obi-Wan to another location, or set a trap for the boy.

Sara heard the gunshots outside the room, and cursed herself, trying to delete the information as quickly as possible, but the programm was slow, damaged by the fire-fight, and if they cut off the power, they would stop the deletion and manage to retrieve the information themselves by saving the computer and taking it to be decoded. Staring at the progress bar, Sara kept her ears peeled for the sounds of the door being supplied and targeted by the Stormtroopers, grasping her light-sabre again and thumbing the ignition switch.

She was too late.

The door blasted open and she dived into the shadows, watching as Stormtroopers rushed in, her eyes focused on the progress bar, watching the files get permanently deleted one by one, and then watched in horror as the same individual as earlier- the Sith- walked forwards and pressed the cancellation bar, a timer appearing, and then disappearing, revealing the chartered course of Luke Skywalker.

She heard the cold laugh, and watched as he brought up the file; all the data on each individual was saved, revealing each Jedi file that was saved.

Hers, Luke's, Obi-Wan's, Revan's, Shaak's... All the Jedi files appeared before her eyes, and she felt _anger._

Sara snapped her weapon into life, and lunged out, slashing two Stormtroopers into pieces, before raising her free hand and gripping the others, before closing it in a fist.

Their necks broke, and the bodies fell to the ground.

The Sith turned to face her, and a grin stretched across his features, before his malicious voice sounded in her ears.

"Sarianna Kenobi. What an honour to finally see you!"

"Jerec," Sara greeted coldly, raising her blade. "I don't find it as much as an honour to be facing you, considering your sight recently."

"My dear, my _sight_, as you put it, has not suffered one little bit! The Force has substituted me as such with its sight instead," Jerec took a step forwards. "And I will use that to defeat you here and now, my dear; your husband will suffer in the light of your death, and I will bathe in his grief and hatred as it grows. Soon, you will be thrown at the feet of Obi-Wan Kenobi, and he will suffer."

_He's alive? My husband is alive!_ Sara basked in that happy thought and it gave her strength!

"Then, I will make this battle as short as possible, and it won't be me that dies today," Sara pointed her weapon at Jerec. "But _you."_

She launched for the attack.

Ooo

The viewing deck was bustling with activity.

Revan gazed around at the other Jedi youngsters, chewing his lip as he tried to figure out what to do, or if there was anything he could help with, but once more, there was nothing; he just felt utterly useless sometimes, always hiding, always pushed into the shadows for his own safety.

Well, no more; he was going to defend himself when the Stormtroopers came, and defend everyone else. He felt he owed them that, as they had done the same with him; he may not be as powerful as his parents, or as skilled as the rest of his age mates, but by the Force, he knew how to take care of himself when the time came.

Now, though, he was stuck babysitting some of the intiates, although Terin and Toria weren't so bad; they were cute, laughable, and he enjoyed their company. Sometimes, he felt drawn to the pair, as though one day, when he completed his training, he would take one as his apprentice, or both, depending on their numbers when he finally graduated. Placing a hand on the head of each, as both had fallen asleep against him, Revan stroked their hair and smiled down at them; they looked so cute, an amazing contrast to what they had done earlier with the Stormtroopers, and that's what baffled him sometimes. Resting his head back against the wall he was leaning on, Revan closed his eyes for a moment, hearing the explosions die down on the lower decks; had they won? Had they forced them back?

Instinctively, he drew upon the Force to search for anything out of place, and jumped a bit as he saw an individual in dark robes standing over him, with a metal bar around his eyes. He looked quite old, as old as his Father, and his robes were torn, with bloody gashes on his face and arms, but he stood above him with an air of triumph, which confused Revan above all else.

"_It's over, Sarianna Kenobi,_" He spoke with a cold voice, cold enough to have shattered the glass around him. "_You should have surrendered when you had the chance."_

_Mum... No, mum!_

He watched as the Sith raised his blade up above him, and a gasp sounded as he saw a greying blonde lock flitter before his eyes; the same colour of hair as his mother.

_No!_

"Mum!" Revan cried out, and opened his eyes sharply, startling the pair that were sleeping in his arms. He breathed heavily, staring with wide eyes around the room; his distress wasn't noted, as the younglings were being taken care of by older Padawans his age, but the pair in his arms had noticed his distress, and Toria's gentle hand touched his cheek.

"Rev?" She asked. "Okay?"

Revan looked down at them, and nodded, trying to control his shaky breath, and cuddled them close in comfort, not just to him but to them as well; it had distressed him completely, as he had not banked on seeing anything like that at all, and it scared him. Was his mother safe? Was she... Was she dead?

"Shush!" A Jedi suddenly called. "I think there's someone coming!"

Immediately, the initiates quietened down, and Revan glanced down at the two in his arms, before croaking.

"Go join the group; I'm gonna check this out, alright?"

Toria and Terin both nodded in unison, before leaving his embrace and rushing towards the rest of their age mates. Standing, Revan walked towards the older Jedi, standing before them as they faced the door; some had their light-sabres in hand, but others were not as cautious, walking towards the door and raising a hand as bangs sounded from the other side. Immediately, Revan felt his danger senses erupt into existence, and he augmented his hearing with the Force.

Ticking.

His eyes widened, and he darted forwards, opening his mouth to warn the pair of Jedi that had ventured towards the door, when suddenly.

An explosion blasted the door across the room, smoke billowing inwards and blue blaster shots veered towards them, striking Jedi and stunning them, making them fall to the ground like swatted flies, pinned underneath blue energy nets or, when the black-armoured troopers entered, were tazered, falling to the ground and twitching, stunned completely. Grasping his light-sabre and igniting it, Revan darted back to guard the younglings, but he knew that he was overwhelmed by the squad; they had taken them by surprise, preying upon the naivity of the Jedi apprentices and capturing any that were there, shooting first and asking questions later.

Raising his blade, Revan made to parry a shot back, but the stun bolt passed through, making him duck and feel the heat at the top of his head; it appeared to be that the Empire had finally found a way to stop the light-sabres parrying their shots. Gritting his teeth, Revan raised his hand and curled it into a fist, Force crushing the shooter, before flipping through the air and landing in the middle of them, his light-sabre ready.

As they aimed, he pounced, spinning with his weapon outstretched and cutting them in half, before turning and facing the rest as they rushed forwards, raising wrist-installed pistols, and firing ropes. He ducked one, and slashed before jumping around with the Force, throwing himself in the air and somersaulting, twisting in the air so that he faced them from behind, and darted forwards, slashing one's arm, and blocking a punch by another, but they were too fast; they were trained to face Jedi, it seemed, and he was faltering under the overwhelming numbers, falling back towards a corner.

Panicking, Revan tried to concentrate and draw the Force inwards for a Repulse, but one aimed a large rifle towards him, and fired. The blue bolt soared straight towards him, and he had no time to duck.

He screamed. He screamed loudly as the electricity passed through him, and he was caught in the blue web, his light-sabre falling from his grip and clattering to the ground, before Revan fell onto his knees, and forwards, landing on the ground. The floor vibrated beneath him, and the yells and shots sounded dulled down and distant, his body struggling to move, and his brain struggling to keep him conscious and awake, to know what was going on around him, but as the commotion began to die down, and the younglings were grabbed, screaming, in the shadow troopers' arms, Revan was away of a cloaked figure approaching him, and glanced upwards.

It was the same man he had just seen, and he grinned wide, before raising a foot, aimed directly for Revan's head.

Everything went black.

Ooo

_"The raid on Yavin has been a success, Master Jedi,"_ The voice over the intercom bragged. _"We have captured your precious remnants of the Jedi Order, but unfortunately, there is a considerable amount missing; tell me, do you know what has become of Luke Skywalker?"_

The hunched figure didn't respond, a mask strapped tight to his face, and the only features visible being his eyes.

"_Of course not, but I can guess what he is up to,"_ The voice was recognisable now. He knew who it was; Admiral Thrawn, who was in charge now of the Nubian occupation by the Death Star, and the Empire's fleet. Vader and the Emperor would be busy just now, and it appeared that they had sent the Chiss Imperial to brag about their success, particularly if it was Jedi that the two Sith were occupied with, if the rumour was true that they had captured the Order. "_He's obviously trying to find you, Master Jedi."_

He shifted, but daren't raise his head, yet pride filtered into his eyes.

_"But it's only a matter of time until he is located, and brought forth, Jedi,"_ Thrawn continued. _"Not long until the remainder of the Jedi Order is in our grasp; and you shall bear witness to the new weaponry that the Empire has yet to test on your kind. It has been forseen by the Soothsayer; the Day of Reckoning is approaching for the Rebellion, and once those last few stragglers of the Jedi, and the entire fleet of the Rebel Alliance is here, then they shall be wiped out in one blast."_

The prisoner raised his head, glaring up at the camera that was facing him in the corner; he wished he could speak, but the mask restricted his movements. Instead, he sent a massive wave of Force energy, attacking the Chiss' mind over the camera; despite the weeks of torture, the days without food or water, _he_ remained a dangerous person towards them. His reach with the Force was strong still, and if they pushed him, he would unleash that power and use it; only Vader and the Emperor could restrain him during times like this, and it was times like these when he was stressed and riled up that he demonstrated the height of his power.

He heard Thrawn scream over the camera, and a large screech as he dropped something, and chuckled, releasing the Mind attack and bowing his head again, staring at the floor.

"_Big mistake, Jedi,"_ Thrawn retorted through the intercom. "_After all... We have your wife and son."_

The prisoner froze, and his head shot up, eyes wide as he stared at the camera.

"_Now then, unless you wish for us to demonstrate how devastating this Death Star is, you will behaviour, Master Kenobi. Otherwise, your wife and son will be the first to be destroyed- and then the Rebel Alliance."_

Then, there was silence, as Thrawn disappeared, but for the prisoner, he shed a little tear, and bowed his head.

And sobbed.


	84. Part VI, Chapter 4

_ON THE TRAIL_

Across the galaxy, on the world of Nar Shadda, a boy ran through the streets, a scarf covering his lowering face, and a cloak fluttering behind him due to the speed. Pushing some civilians out of the way, the boy continued running, leaping over a fruit stand with efficiency, before rolling when he returned to the ground. Turning, and dispelling some invisible Force, he knocked the fruit stand over and watched all sorts of fruit crash to the ground, some splitting, and others tumbling, befre continuing on and turning a corner sharply, heading down an alleyway.

Behind him, were two bar scum, both carrying pistols, and waiting for a clear shot before they fired. Both were human, but one was taller, and had a gruesome scar that covered half his face and destroyed the sight in one eye, whereas the other was smaller and skinnier, yet faster and more agile as he leapt over the fallen fruit and dodged the juices that coated the pavement, following the boy down the alleyway and into the shadows of the buildings. When the two bar scum passed, the boy remained hiding, waiting just in case they turned around and ventured back, but after a few moments, the boy emerged.

He was tall, with chocolate brown hair and deep blue eyes, and a hint of a beard growing on his cheeks and chin. He glanced around, checking for anything or anyone that was threatening, before looking upwards.

Focusing the Force, the boy leapt high into the air, and grabbed the edge of the roof, before he swung himself up and onto the roof, rolling onto his knees. Standing, he glanced around one last time, sorting the wrinkles in his grey shirt, before fastening the wrist guards he had on a bit tighter.

Kyle Katarn rushed towards the edge of the building, increasing his speed, and leapt over the gap, landing on a circular building, moving towards the shadows once again, where he knew a ship was hidden stealthily. Approaching, he looked around and activated the ramp, striding on board and towards the bridge where he sensed the other Jedi to be sitting, and pushed open the door.

The group were sitting in a half-circle, awaiting him, and Kyle nodded.

"Success; I found the club that Master Kenobi was in to meet Vader, but I haven't managed to find out why."

The individual in the centre shifted, and a mellow voice sounded. "Have you managed to find out how he got captured?"

"I believe that he was betrayed; there's no other explanation."

The owner of the voice sighed, before leaning forwards. He was about eighteen years old, with thick blonde hair that had darkened slightly in tone, with pale blue eyes and slightly tanned skin. He wore a black shirt and pants, with black boots and a yellow jacket. Strapped to his belt, was his light-sabre, and a pistol on the other hip, with a small medical bag on his belt, containing basic medical supplies for one.

Luke Skywalker surveyed Kyle Katarn, and said. "What's the name of the club?"

"_The Necronomer,_" Kyle replied, running a hand over his chin. "It opens in half an hour, Luke."

Luke nodded, and stared down at the table, thinking over their strategy; they couldn't emerge as Jedi or Rebels into a nightclub that could contain more Stormtroopers and Imperial spies than their own sympathisers. Stroking his chin, Luke leaned back, a frown on his features; finding information on what Obi-Wan was planning would more difficult now.

"We don't need all of us," Kenth's boring voice sounded from his right. "Just a couple of us going."

"I'll go," Luke said, and they all looked at him. "I have to; he's my Master, and if I can find the trail there, I can follow it and locate him easier."

The others nodded in unison, and Luke felt a sense of unease rising throughout him; why did he have an indication that he would do this a few decades down the line? That everyone sitting here would one day be on the Council, and he, Luke Skywalker, would also be sitting on the Council, listening to and debating the future of the Jedi Order.

"I'll come," Galen broke the silence first, and Luke nodded at him in thanks. "Best if I do. Watch your back."

"And me," Kam stated. "I'm itching for a mission; I've not been on one for months!"

Luke chuckled at the eagerness in Kam Solusar's voice; he was usually quiet, but now his impatience towards his lack of missions and actions was now over-riding everything that made him himself. Luke knew he couldn't refuse Kam and Galen, and nodded at the pair.

"I think three of us would be enough; too many of us would attract attention of the Empire, and the last option we need would be for the Imperials to come after us with an army."

"What can I do?" Tionne sounded, her white hair illuminating the room and seemingly banishing the shadows that had adorned the room.

"Tionne, we need you to stay here," Luke replied; he still regretted bringing the young teenager with them, but her skills in the Force had helped them so far with evading the Stormtroopers, and her stealth training had aided them in locating and pin pointing the location, so that Kyle could go and check everything in the street out. "Keep the comm. channel open, and alert us to what is going on, alright?"

"I understand," She leaned back, looking frustrated at once more being left inside the _Twilight II. _"I'll continue to monitor the Force for activity."

Galen nodded, and stood up. "We'd best prepare, because we can't go out looking as Padawans; too conscpicuous."

"Yeah," Luke flicked at his braid behind his ear; over the past few weeks, his hair had grown a bit longer, with bangs in his eyes and the flicking of the ends over his neck. Now, the braid was starting to look silly amongst his long hair, and if they were going undercover, he needed to lose the braid now. "We'll cut our braids off, and wear what we have, plus hide our weaponry."

He gazed at the others. "Remain here until we feel we need your help, alright?"

"Understood," Kyle answered for the rest, and the group of teens stood up.

Luke beckoned Galen and Kam, and the three walked out and towards the 'fresher, where a mirror stood on the wall. Opening the draw and searching amongst the objects there, Luke took out a pair of scissors, and turned to Kam and Galen with them in his hand, the trio looking at them, before gulping in unison.

"Who wants to go first?" Kam said jokily, and they cringed at the same time; despite the boys knowing that it was only a piece of hair getting cut, each felt that the braid was a symbol to them of their lives, of the Jedi Order. "Or will we pin each other down and cut them off forcefully?"

"Oh, for kriff sake!" Galen grabbed the scissors, and opened them, holding them up to the braid's beginning, hesitating and closing his eyes for a second, before snipping the braid.

It fell to the ground with a light sound, and the three looked down at it with wide eyes, before Kam and Luke gazed at Galen, who released a breath he had obviously been holding in. He turned to Kam, and before the blonde haired knew what was happening, grabbed his braid and sniped it off too, making the boy splutter in surprise.

Now, Luke was having second thoughts; surely there was a way to unwind his braid and hide it in his grown hair? Already, he was backing off, heading towards the door, only to find Galen and Kam grab him by the jacket and haul him right back in with a squeal, slamming the door shut.

A yell later and the snip of the scissors, there was silence, and the three braids lay on the ground before their previous owners, who collected them up, and shakily placed them in the bin.

Ooo

The club was open now, and the three teenagers stood outside with an air of nerves as they saw Stormtroopers standing guard at the front with the bouncers, and a few off-duty officers just standing before them. In fact, another factor that didn't help their nerves was the black-robed individual that was just down the street, carrying a light-sabre on his belt, grabbing humans and checking them for some strange and peculiar reason, but Luke knew that deep down, they were checking for any Jedi that had managed to get through the security of the planet.

Kam was fidgeting next to him, uncomfortable with the fact that there was an Inquisitor just down the street from them, checking for anyone that was recognisable and could be handed over to them for a handsome reward, and as a result, Jedi apprentices would fetch a larger price than a petty criminal.

Finally, the queue began to shorten, and the boys were allowed in after a quick mind-trick by Galen on the bouncers and Stormtroopers present, making their entry quick and undisturbed. They made it past the security that searched for weaponry by another use of a mind-trick by Galen, and walked down the stairs and into the _Necronomer._

Placing his hands on his hips, Galen looked around at the pulsing lights, and said loudly over the music to Luke and Kam.

"Spread out?"

"No, keep together," Luke replied, but the others didn't hear him very well; it seemed that speech would be a bad idea in the club.

Gazing at Galen and Kam, Luke placed his pointing finger and middle finger against his temple, and spoke to them in the Force.

"_Communicate via the Force and our minds; keep in contact and don't stray too far, or too long talking to one another. The last thing we need is that Inquisitor just down the street sensing our communication and coming here."_

They nodded telepathically, and split, Luke walking down a quieter area, and waving a small greeting to two female twi-leks, making one of them curl their lekku over her hand in a flirtatious greeting, before venturing onwards, gazing around for an empty booth. Seeing one just up ahead, Luke slid into it, hidden in the shadows, and leaned back, trying to calm his mind and focus like Obi-Wan had taught him; if he managed the mind probing, he could also find out if his Master left any trails in the Force behind, no matter how old, just to prove he was there.

Luke glanced around, before placing his forefinger and middle fingers against his temple again, expanding the Force; he could not yet freely do so without his hands, as he was still learning the technique, but as he closed his eyes, he focused with the Force on each and every individual, searching.

So many minds, so many life energies flaring up in the Force, some a vibrant colour, others dull, depending on their mood, and their health state, but he saw more.

He saw memories, he saw dreams, he saw wants and loss, and he saw hopes and wishes. Everything rushed past him like a wave, his mind taking in everything that was there, and the effects were making him pant slightly, so much that he was forced to focus on his Master's signature instead.

He would recognise Obi-Wan's signature anywhere, but here, when it wasn't as fresh as before, it was more difficult to pick up a trace that was weaker and minute compared to the fresher ones left by those that were here at this moment. Luke felt his impatience getting the better of him, and he almost gave a growl of frustration, staring around for any sign of the signature that he had come to know so well.

Then, it struck him; a small pulse of light amongst the many colours, a dwindling light that took him towards a booth where two individuals sat together; a wookie and a man that looked a little worse for wear.

Luke searched the pair through the Force, trying to work out who they were, and found nothing that would be deemed interesting for him just now; they were smugglers, and had just finished a run they were now celebrating with. But the signature was still there, and he also found... _Another_.

Dark... Darker than anything else, yet strangely familiar.

Luke then heard yells and screams, and pulled his fingers away, staring up to see Stormtroopers enter the club, pushing aside anyone that was in their path. Searching for Galen and Kam, Luke got up and flared them through the Force, seeing their heads turn before they ran towards him from opposite sides of the club, joining his side in an instant.

"We gotta go," Galen said. "Out the back!"

"Why? Is it the-," Luke said no more, for the Inquisitor that had been spotted earlier stepped onto the floor, hood down to reveal a blood-red Zabrak, yellow eyes sweeping the area, trying to locate any Force sensitives that were around. Grabbing Galen and Kam by the arms, Luke tried to push them through the panicked crowd and out a backway if any was visible.

However, their escape was noticed by the Inquisitor, who pointed towards them and barked. "There! Arrest those three!"

Luke cursed, and freed Galen and Kam, the trio grabbing their light-sabres and igniting them as the Stormtroopers rushed forwards, their rifles raised and ready to fire at the three Jedi apprentices.

Luke gritted his teeth, and glanced up at the Inquisitor, whose eyes were focused on his own, a smirk crawling onto his face.

"A big mistake, Luke Skywalker, leaving your friends behind; after all, if you were there instead of here, we would not have been able to track them so easily!"

Luke gritted his teeth, and ignited the azure blade of his light-sabre, leaping back when the Inquisitor unleashed Force lightning towards him, diving behind a booth and hearing it crackle nearby. Already, he could hear Galen and Kam fighting back, their light-sabres sounding even over the loud music that was still roaring from the stereos.

Luke gazed out to see the Stormtroopers approaching him- realising he was pinned down- and darted out with his light-sabre coming around in a curved slash, catching them across the chest and leaving a large burning gash on them. He drew the blue blade back and thrusted his left hand out, Force-pushing them over the crowd and against the wall, making them crash into a table full of pirates.

Then the fight worsened.

Luke found himself shoved aside as the brawlers took on the Stormtroopers, deactivating his weapon to stop any injury to himself, before scrambling away towards a booth to escape the fighting, sensing Galen and Kam nearby, and also doing exactly the same. Grasping Galen's hand so that he was helped up, Luke stared around for some way he could sneak them out and get back to the _Twilight_, before the Empire located the other Jedi youngsters.

Then, he felt a firm hand grasp his arm, and spun around, eyes wide and ready to slash with his light-sabre, only to see the smuggler from earlier with the wookie staring back at him, a confident smirk on his face.

"You did good, kid, but I think it's time to go," He said, speaking in a Corellian accent. "Out the back, come on!"

He led Luke, Kam and Galen through the fighting and out into the street, the large wookie growling and roaring, waving his arms in a motion that basically said for them to hurry up. Luke clipped his light-sabre onto his belt and followed the smugglers at a run deeper into the alleyway, and away from the fighting so that they could rest and recover, before Luke led them at Force speed back to the _Twilight_; his priorities were the other Jedi apprentices now.

"Listen, kid, you shouldn't have done that," The smuggler said, straightening his black waist-coat. "You could have got killed; all three of you."

"Well, we were trying to accomplish something," Kam retorted, now breathing normally. "And then that fight happened."

"Let me guess. Looking for someone?"

"Perhaps," Galen took a step forwards. "Why do you ask?"

The smuggler grinned, and said. "Well, when you three walked in, me and my buddy here could tell you were looking for someone; a bit conspicuous, you know!"

The wookie gave its equivalent of a chuckle, and Luke frowned at them, before the smuggler asked.

"What's your names, kids? And don't lie."

The three Jedi apprentices looked at one another, before introducing themselves one by one.

"Galen Marek."

"Kam Solusar."

"Luke Skywalker," Luke finished, nodding like the other two. "And who are you two?"

The smuggler indicated the wookie. "This is Chewbacca, my first mate on our ship, the _Millenium Falcon._ And me? I'm the Captain of the _Millenium Falcon;_ the name is Han Solo."


	85. Part VI, Chapter 5

_TO CORUSCANT_

The _Twilight_ was nothing more than a smouldering wreckage when the three Jedi apprentices, Han and Chewbacca arrived a short while later; there was no sign of any of the other Jedi, bar for dead bodies of Stormtroopers, and scorch marks on the walls and roofing of the building the ship had once been on.

Kicking a helmet away from him, Galen strode forwards towards the wreckage and clambered in, whilst Kam and Luke checked for any survivours amongst the Stormtroopers that littered their path, using the Force to scan for any life-signs and finding none. Heaving a sigh, Luke turned to Han and Chewbacca, and asked.

"You're smugglers. You get around; where would the Empire take them?"

"That, kid, is difficult to know," Han replied, a frown on his features. "Why? Who was on that ship?"

"Others, like us," Kam replied. "Jedi apprentices, but a few of them are younger than us; one was a little girl called Tionne, barely entering her teenage years."

Han's eyes widened, and he said. "You brought a kid onto a trip like this?"

"She's skilled," Luke argued back, gazing around. "But we got to rescue them; for all we know, they could be on their way to the Emperor right this second."

"Listen, Kid, getting to the core is one thing," Han replied. "But sneaking onto the home-world of the Empire will be the last mistake you'll ever make, because you'll be dead by the end of it."

"Hey, we're Jedi; we take the risks well," Kam pointed out. "We just have to get to Coruscant."

Luke bit his lip, slightly lost in his thoughts. Coruscant rang a bell in his head, and as he raked his brain for some indication as to why that was, he sensed Galen emerge and jump down, heading towards them with a solemn look on his sharp features.

"The others aren't there," He said. "There's evidence of stun bolts; yep, they've been captured."

"Any contact by the Rebel Alliance?" Kam asked, and Chewbacca gave a loud growl, looking at them.

Galen shook his head, and ran a hand through his close cut hair, winced a bit at it and replied. "None, although there was an attempt at a distress signal towards the nearest Rebel territories, but it was non-responsive, but it stems wider than that; I tried to open the signal again, but there was no answer from the system nearest to us that is occupied by the Rebels, and I can't make contact with Home Base either."

Luke cursed himself silently, and replied. "I'll have a tinker at it; you and Kam check for evidence."

Han placed a hand on Luke's shoulder, and asked. "Kid, is there anything we can do for you?"

"There's nothing you can do," Luke replied, shaking his head with a sad expression on his features. "You've already done so much for us, getting us out that club; the Empire will be after you like a shot now, Han, and its best if you scarper."

"Hey, kid," Han started, but Luke shook his head again.

"You've done too much for us, Han. You and Chewbacca get going," He turned to Kam and Galen, nodding at the pair, before heading towards the _Twilight_, clambering up into the once recognisable cargo bay with the ruined ramp.

He winced at the mess that had been made, and at the bodies, before shielding his eyes as sparks emitted from near to him, heading towards the slanted corridor that was revealed before him, one hand braced against the wall for balance and to prevent him from falling into the wall or into a room when he came near a doorway. The smell of death was horrific, overwhelming his nostrils and senses in the Force, causing a slight headache and vomit to crawl up his throat, only to be swallowed back down in a reflex that he had adopted to help him in battle.

After all, they were still in a War.

Luke tripped a bit on a Stormtrooper body that was slumped against the wall, cursed his carelessness, and continued on towards the bridge of the ship, pushing the door open and entering into the wide room, noticing the sparking controls, and the slashed chairs with the smouldering metal, indicating light-sabre usage in an effort to defend themselves against the Stormtroopers. Closing his eyes for a moment, Luke tried to figure out what had happened, but he did not have the skill or knowledge to accomplish something that advanced, and released his attempt on the Force, heading into the bridge and towards a chair. Shoving the Stormtrooper limb off the chair, Luke sat down and held tight to the arm rest, reaching over and flicking a few switches to try and activate the engines, hearing the low hum of the power as it was activated.

_Yes! The power still works! Just the engines are bust._

Luke flicked a few more switches, and activated the holo-transmitter, entering his code before pressing the speaker button and calling.

"Hello, is anyone there? This is Commander Luke Skywalker of Red squadron, calling Home Base! Does anyone hear me?"

There was nothing but static, and the picture revealed nothing either. Luke heaved a sigh, and tried again, voicing the same words, and waiting for a few agonising moments for an answer.

It seemed that there was no-one there.

His eyes widened at that thought; why would Home Base not answer? Was it under attack, or the communications systems were down? Were there upgrades, or was there nobody there to answer his call? Inside, he had a sinking feeling that something terrible had happened on Yavin, and the urge to get up and find a way to get back to the system was now rising up inside him; he _had_ to know that Revan and Sara were alright too! It was bad enough that Obi-Wan was missing, but to lose Sara and Revan would end him as well.

And if Beru was gone... Then his anger would come swift and deadly to his enemies.

A beeping sound erupted through his thoughts, and he jumped up, gazing towards the red button. There was someone trying to contact him!

Luke pressed it, and activated the sound and holo, but no image appeared before him, even though his own was obviously seen on the other side.

"Home Base, do you answer! This is Luke! Is there anyone there?"

There was the sound of robes being ruffled, and a cold voice sounded.

"_Hello, young Skywalker. My, my, you look so much like your Father, bar for certain features."_

It was a voice that Luke didn't recognise, but it sent shivers up his spine, and a sense of coldness baked his skin, making him pale slightly; that was an indication of a Dark Side user, not a Light sider, and judging by the formal tone and usage, this was either a Sith Lord, or an Inquisitor, and he had just revealed his very appearance to them.

Cursing, he leaned back, making sure that he wasn't in view, and demanded. "Who are you? What have you done with Sara?"

"_Sara... Kenobi? My boy, you need not fear; she is quite safe, well. I lie, in fact; she's on her way to the Emperor, along with her son and other Rebels and Jedi youngsters. Have no fear, they won't be killed. Yet."_

Luke felt anger assault him instantly, and clenched the seat tightly, glaring at the blank holo-transmitter, before demanding. "Who. Are. You?"

"_Such manners! Goodness me, but you did ask a question; my name is Inquisitor Jerec, former Jedi of the fallen Jedi Order, and I admit, young Skywalker, I have been anxious to meet you for some time, or hear your voice."_

Luke glared at the holo-transmitter, and said. "Well, Jerec, I have one more question to ask you; what the kriff have you done with with the Jedi?"

"_My dear boy, they have been captured, as I have said; I aided in doing so. Your precious friends and associates will be watching the destruction of the Rebel Alliance. Have you wondered why they haven't contacted you? It's because of a simple reason; the Rebel fleet has fallen back to Home Base, and we shall attack them. Once we have succeeded in weakening the fleet, they will be destroyed. One. At. A. Time."_

Luke growled and slammed his fist down on the counter, glaring at the holo-transmitter still, fury all he felt towards what Jerec had just said; he was going to get after that Inquisitor, and he was going to kill him, but first, he would divulge all his secrets and figure out how to save the Rebel fleet when he arrived.

"You won't succeed; all the Galaxy needs is one spark to install hope inside the people. And the Rebellion has caused that spark of hope, with the uprisings on non-human planets and even with human dominated planets. Then, the Empire will fall; one way or another."

"_Fighting talk, boy. I can't wait to duel you, Luke Skywalker,"_ Jerec gave a cold chuckle. "_It'll be a duel I'll gladly remember, when I drag your mangled corpse to the Emperor; after all, he has a high price on your pretty little head!"_

He laughed, cold and high, and Luke grabbed his pistol, aiming straight for the holo-transmitter, before snarling.

"Or rather, I'll kill you... And send _your_ head to the Emperor as a warning to not mess with me!"

He fired, and the control panel sparked before him, before he turned in the chair and ran out, keeping his balance regardless of the wall, and towards the ramp, jumping out. Luke stared towards the Galen and Kam, who had piled the Stormtroopers in a corner, before turning to face him, looks of worry and concern on their features; they had obviously sensed his turbulent emotions from the conversation with Jerec.

"Luke?" Galen asked, stepping forwards. "Is there something wrong? Are we getting help?"

"No," Luke replied lowly. "No, we're not; Home Base has been taken by the Empire."

Kam gasped, and started forwards. "How? How did they get past our fleet?"

"I don't know," Luke muttered. "But we're on our own; the Rebel Fleet is on the move to try and retake Home Base. They're walking into a trap."

"We have to warn them!" Galen said firmly. "Have you tried communicating them?"

"No answer," Luke replied. "And I shot the holo so that they can't track us either."

"Kriff," Kam muttered under his breath, before speaking out. "Then, what do we do?"

"It's obvious," Galen retorted. "They're going to round up the Rebel leaders; if the fleet heads towards Home Base, then the Empire can capture them, and we are screwed if they get their hands on them."

"Wait," Han interrupted them, stepping in. "You saying that the Rebel leaders could be walking into a trap?"

"Possibly," Luke answered, turning to him and Chewbacca. "Although, there is one Rebel leader we can account for; she's on Coruscant, and the quicker we get to her, the better. I know a place we can go to once we have collected her."

"And how are you going to manage that without a ship, kid?" Han asked, frowing at them. "And without a fast ship either?"

"We'll find a ship, steal it, and go," Galen replied, the three moving already towards the edge of the building to jump.

"Oh no, you ain't," Han retorted. "Get back here. I'll take you kids to Coruscant."

Luke turned to face him, eyebrows high. "You? Are you sure?"

"'Course!" Han replied, and Chewbacca growled before giving a rumble. "Now, let's go; my ship is on platform seven."

Ooo

Jerec stared at the holo-transmitter with a smirk, before turning around and walking out of the control room and through the corridor. He patted his light-sabre on his belt, watching as Stormtroopers began their work on the computers, trying to locate any information on the Rebels and their plans, only to find absolutely nothing of value; they had been wiped clean, and any data still there was useless as their strategies had happened in past battles of the Empire and Rebellion.

Gritting his teeth, Jerec continued to look around, when a Stormtrooper rushed forwards, and said. "My Lord Jerec, the Emperor is wanting to speak with you, about the mission here."

"Good, I will be there shortly," Jerec replied. "Alert him that I will be there in a few moments, and apologize for my late arrival, but tell him... I have had a very interesting conversation with Luke Skywalker."

The Stormtrooper bowed, and rushed off.

Yes, a _very_ interesting conversation indeed.

Ooo

Platform seven was quiet, and had hardly any inspections, but that didn't strike the young apprentices as odd at all; they sensed no ill intent from Han, Chewbacca, nor anything that was threatening towards them in the Force, but when Luke saw the Corellian freighter before him, he paused and surveyed the vessel, before exclaiming.

"What a piece of junk!"

Han looked at him, insulted, and barked. "She may not be pretty, kid, but she's got it where it counts! She's fast, powerful, and got enough weaponry to take on a few TIEs. Now, get on board, and let's head off; we ain't got enough time!"

Galen and Kam nodded, but Luke grumbled, now missing the _Twilight II_, but he knew deep down that he shouldn't underestimate the freighter; just because it didn't look pretty, doesn't mean that the vessel was any less magnificent than the high classed starships that had next to nothing in weaponry. Following the others on, Luke went into the seating area, gazing around in curiosity, whilst Chewbacca moved past and towards the bridge, leaning back in his seat and staring around at the old fashioned control panels opposite, and the torn seats that they sat on and were bolted to the floor opposite them.

Sharing a glance with Galen and Kam, Luke watched as Han strode past towards the bridge, a hiss signalling the closing of the ramp, and a low hum sounded as the engines were started up.

"How can we trust him?" Galen asked, looking at Luke and Kam. "How can we trust a complete stranger?"

"We don't have a choice but to," Kam replied. "But if we don't sense any ill intent, then we should be okay. Right, Luke?"

Luke didn't respond; even though he wanted to trust Han, there was something about him that he felt was off; he wanted to be friends with him, but there was a nagging feeling in the back of his head that, in some way, Han would cause him great pain at some point. Whether it was now or in the future (if they met again) he did not know.

"Luke? Luke, you there?" Galen waved his hand before his eyes, and Luke blinked, looking at them.

"Sorry, just day dreaming. We in space yet?"

"Yeah; that pilot is _good_, almost as good as you," Kam replied.

Galen just snorted.


	86. Part VI, Chapter 6

_LEIA'S CONFESSION_

The cell door clicked open, and the prisoner raised his head, eyes peering through the mask that was shielding his features from the entree. He coughed behind it, eyes staring at the white-clothed official that had walked in with a couple of Stormtroopers behind him, each carrying a glass case of a lizard inside, which flicked its tongue and moved its head in rapid movements, the eyes staring at the masked individual with curiosity, much like the official that had entered before them.

The official was a Chiss, his blue skin noticeable, and the dark red eyes glowing through the darkness of the cell, his black hair close cut to his blue head. He was emotionless, hardly smiling, but his voice was low and, like his features, emotionless, as the prisoner had come to know very well. His hands were clasped behind his back, as he stared down at the imprisoned Jedi, before speaking in a low voice.

"The Emperor and Lord Vader await you, General Kenobi; we have a special surprise for you, waiting in the throne room of the Palace."

Obi-Wan didn't speak. He couldn't; his throat was dry, and rough as a result, and the hunger and thirst that had been assaulting his weak body had finally taken its toll on him, making him feel ill and even worse than he ought to be. But with the Ysalamari here as well, the Force was depleting, making him gasp in surprise- even though he had been exposed to them numerous times during his imprisonment- and look up at the Chiss with wide eyes, breathing slightly heavy and his weak body shaking.

"Ysalamari, General Kenobi," Thrawn spoke, eyes watching him. "As you know, and had learned, they render the Force useless in users, even the Emperor and Vader. But, I am no fool with them, General Kenobi; once you have been delivered, the lizards will be taken back to the tank. After all, I don't want to cause any negativity towards me from the pair."

He turned to the Stormtroopers, and ordered. "Get him up."

A Stormtrooper walked forwards, and untied the the bonds that held Obi-Wan's wrists and ankles, before grasping his arm and hoisting him up. The fifty-five year old struggled to stand for a moment, but then he balanced, and was bound again with his wrists behind his back, before pushed out and into the corridor and past the other cells that were lined with prisoners already. They had not removed the mask.

The Ysalamari tanks followed closely, keeping his Force powers down and reducing his chances of escaping, and when the Stormtroopers entered the lift with him, Thrawn standing before him, the Force disappeared entirely and making Obi-Wan start, staring around for a moment before realising that the lizards were the cause, and relaxing; he needed to keep calm and collected before seeing the Emperor and Vader, for it would not bode well for him to lose his nerve when he was there.

He closed his eyes, and searched for his calm centre, and focused on his wife and son.

How long had it been since he had last seen them? A day, a week? Maybe a month? They were probably worrying about him now; he was a fool to have left without alerting Sara as to where he was going and who he was meeting. She would be going crazy about now, waiting for him to return, and only to discover he was imprisoned and being tortured right now. She always over-reacted towards his actions; he was a Jedi Master, he could handle it.

But Revan... Revan was his only child, his son, and he wished now that he had stayed for longer periods and spent more time with him, to see hims grow up into a man. However, he had failed; Revan had grown up not fully knowing his Father, living in his shadow, and struggling to find his place in the Galaxy as a result, rather than be his own person, without the burden of expectation.

The lift gave a low hum, signalling the arrival, and the doors open to reveal the grand corridor, with the double doors revealing the throne room opened, and Obi-Wan was pushed out into the corridor- and into the waiting arms of Darth Vader.

He stumbled and fell, Vader grabbing his torn tunic, the Sith nodding to Thrawn. The Chiss waved the Ysalamari away, and the Stormtroopers departed, the Force returning immediately, but the Sith Lord kept a tight grip on Obi-Wan to prevent him from trying to escape or fight back, pushing the Jedi towards the throne room without hesitation. Gritting his teeth, Obi-Wan kept himself calm again, as Vader shoved him into the grand throne room of the Nubian Palace, past two red guards, and towards the feet of Palpatine.

Keeping his head down, Obi-Wan tried to control his breathing, before looking up at the Sith Emperor, eyes glaring through the mask at the elderly man that sat before him; he couldn't help but feel that Vader should be ashamed of himself for letting Palpatine sit on the throne. After all, Padme had sat on that throne herself when she was young, and just shortly before they had met for the first time.

The Emperor raised a hand, and said. "Guards. Fetch the two special guests for me, shall you?"

The red guards bowed their heads and turned and left the throne room, leaving Obi-Wan alone with Palpatine and Vader. Raising his head, Obi-Wan continued to glare at the Emperor, who grinned and said.

"Remove his mask."

Vader nodded, and approached Obi-Wan, grabbing the tight bands at the back of his head, before taking a small pin and untightening the bands, Obi-Wan gasping when he felt the air rush through the gaps and onto his face. Roughly, Vader pulled the bands to the side before tearing the mask completely off and revealing Obi-Wan's features for the first time in a few weeks.

The Jedi looked roughened; his beard had grown heavier around his face, with scratches and healed over wounds from attempts to tear the mask off him. The metal buds had dug into Obi-Wan's skin, leaving raw indents where the mask had pressed, and he raised a hand and touched the sore spots, wincing slightly as he felt his skin breathe, before the Emperor began to speak again.

"I believe the special guests have arrived," He then chuckled. "Look, Obi-Wan Kenobi... Your wife and son have made an appearance."

Obi-Wan froze and looked around, as the two red guards entered, dragging two bound individuals with them in the process. Sara looked a complete mess, with her greying blonde hair tangled and covered in blood from a gash to her cheek, with her combat suit torn at the arms and legs, whereas Revan just looked scared, staring around the throne room, his eyes wide and his features pale.

Sara looked at Obi-Wan, and gasped, whereas Revan just shouted. "Dad! DAD!"

The boy broke free, and ran straight towards Obi-Wan, who grabbed his son into a tight embrace, holding him whilst Sara broke free and rushed towards him as well, wrapping her arms around the pair, burying her face in his shoulder, quaking. Obi-Wan kept Revan in his embrace as he glared at Palpatine, before demanding.

"What is it you exactly want, Sidious?"

The elderly Sith stood up, and moved like smoke towards them, a sneer on his features. "My dear Obi-Wan, I am offering you a choice... Join me and Vader, or your wife and son dies. That is all."

Obi-Wan glared at the pair as they stood side by side, before resting his face against Revan's light hair, eyes closed.

He could sense another dark presence heading towards them, and raised his head, gazing towards the door as a tall woman appeared- at least, he thought it was a woman- with a scarf on her lower features and scars on the flesh he could see on her face. Her red hair was tangled, pulled back into a bun, and her eyes were a deathly green-yellow. She wore a suit similar to Vader's own, with a claw noticeable for her right hand, a light-whip coiled around her body, with the hilt at her belt.

"My lords," She spoke with a cold voice, her eyes surveying the small family, huddled together, before returning her gaze towards Vader and Palpatine. "I have received a message, from Jerec; he has been trying to return contact with us."

"Oh?" Palpatine glanced at her. "What about?"

"It appears he has made contact... With Luke Skywalker," The girl replied. "It's just him now."

Palpatine grinned, and glanced at the Kenobis, before saying. "Well, it looks like the Hope is all on his lonesome, Master Kenobi; he must have been searching for you these past few weeks, to have left Home Base behind."

Obi-Wan paled; Luke had been searching for him this whole time? But, that meant if Luke discovered Obi-Wan was here, he could be walking into a trap!

"Soon, he will be in my grasp," Palpatine laughed. "And if he doesn't turn to the Dark Side... He shall die!"

Ooo

Leia Organa sat in her office on Coruscant, staring at the wall and trying to figure out what she damage she could do now that the Emperor was off-world, and Vader himself was gone, leaving any attempt to take over Coruscant easier than before. Of course, she couldn't get her hopes up too high; after all, there were Inquisitors and Hands around every corner whenever the pair were gone, keeping an eye on everyone and anything that were deemed suspiscious.

Of course, because of her Father's role in the Senate, that made Leia under the suspiscion as well, meaning she was watched closely too.

Heaving a sigh, and pushing the papers away from her, Leia stood up and walked towards the window she had that allowed her to view part of Coruscant that was, unfortunately, the poorer and rougher parts; the Emperor wanted her to see that everything she tried to change in the Senate would only cause more problems for the poor people. Only yesterday, was she confronted by a family of Togrutas that had been thrown out their home and forced into slavery, insulted and nearly punched had the Stormtrooper nearby not shot the offending Togrutan male. Incidents like that only caused the Empire to tighten the noose around non-human species.

Deciding to call it a night, Leia grabbed her white cloak and pulled it over her white dress, checking that her bun at the back of her head was still up and secure, before pulling her hood up and departing the office, moving out into the corridor, eager to finally get home to her apartment. She sighed and smiled, wondering there and then what Threepio had made; its cooking had improved significantly over the years, and she was grateful for the droid to accompany her occasionally.

She was so deep in her thoughts that she didn't feel a hand grasp her arm tightly and pull her into an office, and gasped, raising her other fist to strike at the individual, ready to fight to her last breath.

When Leia saw who it was.

"Luke!" She gasped, happy, and then fear over-running her as she realised what planet they were on, and began panicking. "You shouldn't be here! Get going, quick!"

"Leia, I can't," Luke replied. "Please, listen to me; Home Base has been attacked and seized by the Empire."

Leia gazed at him in shock, her eyes widened, and said. "No... It's not true..."

"It is," Luke replied bitterly. "There's no-one left bar me, you, Kam and Galen, but I'm wondering if any survivours would have went to Naboo; remember that old River House we were at, when we grew up?"

"Yes," Leia's eyes widened. "Yes! Of course! They would go there to regroup, but Luke; the Emperor is on Naboo right now!"

Luke froze; the Emperor was on Naboo? Why? Should he not be looking over the construction of his fleet, of his army, and not the Holiday home he had on his home-planet? Or, was there something big occurring on Naboo?

"We have to go," Luke said quietly. "We don't have a choice, Leia; come on, let's get moving."

Leia nodded, albeit hesitant that they were still going to Naboo, and asked. "Why not Alderaan?"

"Alderaan isn't safe just now," Luke replied grimly. "We can never know if we're going to be safe there, regardless of the people's allegiance towards the Rebellion; the Empire has pushed into our territories, Leia, and Alderaan will soon be under their occupation. By going to Naboo, we have a chance to regroup with the other Jedi and any Rebel survivours, instead of rush blindly into a situation we don't know about."

"And that doesn't apply to Naboo?"

"I know, it's simple," Luke said slowly, but Leia cut across him.

"Simpleminded," She retorted, and watched Luke tense before her; she had insulted him, and Luke was not one to let those insults slide when he needed to. "Surely there's a better plan!"

"Listen, it's the best I got," Luke snapped. "We go to Yavin, we get captured. We got to _any_ Rebel territories, and we'll get captured, but if we to an Empire territory, then we sneak right under their noses; they'd expect us to go and venture into our own territories, if there are any left!"

Leia let the logic sink in, and sighed, looking up into Luke's sky blue eyes, before nodding. "I'm sorry. I'm just a bit... Upset about the whole situation; my Father could be captured, Mon could be captured... We're all that's left of the Rebellion."

Luke's gaze softened, and he hugged her tight to him, letting her get the comfort she needed, but deep down, Leia was in turmoil; this was her brother, the boy who became a man in these short weeks, and right now, she was debating whether she should tell him of their family ties. But, would Luke handle that? Would Luke accept that truth, the painful truth that she had hidden from him? No, it might take a while for him to forgive her, but it's better to tell now rather than later.

Luke's arms loosened, and he gazed down at her with a gentle smile. "Better?"

Leia looked up at him, her eyes still sad, before she nodded. "Yes, I'm... I'm okay."

She chewed her lip, before whispering. "I need to tell you something, Luke, and please, forgive me; I have only found out recently."

Luke stared down at her, before replying. "What is it, Leia?"

"Promise... Promise me that you won't get angry," Leia knew it would be difficult, but it was better safe than sorry, to make him promise something such as that; if she was right, Luke Skywalker was never one to break promises, no matter what. "Luke, do you remember much about your Father?"

Luke sighed, running a hand through his hair. "As I told you, he was a Jedi Knight, sworn to defend the Republic and its citizens. He was a great man, as Obi-Wan has told me, but sometimes I see images of him; a light brown haired man, with sky blue eyes, a scar over his right eye and tanned skin like mine. He was tall, magnificent, and a great warrior, defending the weak and justice, the symbol of those Knights we read about in the stories of the Clone Wars."

Leia looked down at her feet. "I have no memory of my Father- my true Father. But it's wierd... You have memories of your Father, I have memories of my mother, but we neither have memories of the other half. We've both got the same name-day, and we're the same age on those days, and Force sensitive."

"What are you saying?" Luke's voice was quivering. "Leia?"

Leia looked up at him. "Luke, there is something you need to know, and I hope you believe me; we each have memories of the person that represents us the most, but that's because we share the attitude of the other. You share your Father's looks, but have your mother's attitude, and I have my mother's looks, but share my Father's attitude; when I look at you, I see Anakin Skywalker, but also another, and when I look at myself, I see the other... But Anakin Skywalker's blood runs through my veins as well."

Luke started, staring at her in disbelief, his eyes wide. "You... That's not... But..."

"Luke," Leia hesitated, before saying, her voice in a definite tone, though it quivered. "You're the son of Anakin Skywalker, but I'm also the daughter of Anakin Skywalker. I'm your twin sister."


	87. Part VI, Chapter 7

_THE APPRENTICES' ESCAPE_

Terin Ablag had faced a few events in his life already, even at the young age he was; the escape from Naboo, rescued by a Jedi, taken into the Rebellion.

And now, he was facing certain death alongside the rest of the youngsters that were cramped in this small room, watched by a couple of Stormtroopers, and a tall, menacing Inquisitor that was pacing before the door. He was dressed in grey- different compared to the black robes of the other Inquisitors that Terin had seen on the holo- with slanting eyes and a sneer on his face, black hair framing his features. His teeth were sharp canines, and the eyes were blood red; naturally, to a young child, this was a creature of their nightmares, but to Terin, this creature was nothing more than a target that they were going to take out.

That was, if he could convince the others to assault the Inquisitor and the Stormtroopers, but most of the older apprentices were injured, either severely or slightly, and an attack on a Force user such as an Inquisitor would result in their death. But Terin, usually patient and calm, was determined to jump at the Inquisitor and use the Force against him. That was, if he could use the Force to that magnititude!

He had been able to move some objects, smaller than the Inquisitor, but not at that size; for someone his age, doing so was costly, and he was surely to be tired at the end of it. But Terin wasn't going to give up that easily; that wasn't the Jedi way. If they didn't do what must be done, then the Jedi would have long been extinct, and he knew that if the trap that the Empire had installed to ensnare any remainding Jedi would succeed unless they had a way to get out of it! He was nervous for those Jedi; it seemed as though history was repeating itself, and that Order 66 had come again.

Terin glanced around at the girl beside him, Toria, and whispered to her. "We gotta do something!"

"But... What?" Toria replied, her large brown eyes widening. "Terry, you're not suggesting we..."

Terin smirked and nodded, but noticed the wariness in Toria's eyes; she was always the cautious one, and doesn't rush into battle unless she had to. But he knew what she could do, what Toria Cantara was capable of, and that was a lot; the amount of times he had made that mistake in his duels, he ended up flat on his back, defeated by the skilled duelist, even for her age. If he convinced her that they could take the Inquisitor down, then he had won over a valuable ally to him, and the others could follow.

"Just, let's distract him," Terin said. "You do it."

"Why me?" She squealed, a bit loudly, but stopped when a Stormtrooper faced them. Toria flushed red, before turning to Terin and whispering. "Why me?"

"Because, they can't refuse a girl," Terin whispered back. "Act cute."

Toria stuck her chin out, and stomped towards the Inquisitor, replacing her look with desperation and anxiety. She reached up and tugged his sleeve, whilst Terin whispered the idea to the other Jedi apprentices, causing the Inquisitor to look down, and reply in a harsh voice.

"What?"

"Mister," Toria hopped from foot to foo. "I need the toilet!"

"Hold it in," He said gruffily, but Toria pouted and put on the teary-eyed look, her bottom lip trembling and desperation on her features.

"I can't!"

"Go in the corner then!" The Inquisitor retorted, but Toria shook her head, and whimpered.

"Please!"

The Inquisitor sighed, and glanced at the Stormtroopers. "Prep your guns, keep them on the kids; I'm taking this brat to the toilets. When I come back, I expect them all to be here, understood?"

"Yes, sir!" The Stormtroopers saluted, and raised their rifles, pointing them to the Jedi apprentices. Toria winked slightly at Terin, before following the Inquisitor, the door closing quietly behind them, as they moved towards where Terin believed the toilets to be.

Glancing at the large Barabel nearest to him, and nodding, he stood up and walked towards the Stormtroopers, who focused their rifles straight at Terin. The boy stopped, stared as far up as his neck would allow him, and placed his head to one side before asking.

"I have a surprise for you!"

The Stormtroopers looked wary at him, then at each other, before one shrugged and muttered. "Just a bunch of kids, what can they do, exactly?"

"Dunno," The other replied, before looking down at Terin, and said. "What's the surprise, kid?"

"You gotta close your eyes first!" Terin replied, holding his clenched fists up before him. "Ready?"

He sensed the tension of the youngsters behind him, each of them gearing up for the signal that Terin had whispered to them; hopefully, with any luck, they were out of this cramped room within seconds, and down the nearest windows. But he wasn't leaving without Toria, no, she was his best friend, and already he felt concern for her, and for the Inquisitor, in case he sensed that something had happened that shouldn't have, as in, she had snuck out somehow past him. She was like that, able to utilise the environment to her benefit, much like the older Jedi Masters; Kenobi had always said she was important to the Jedi, and that she in the future would be a powerful Jedi Master.

The Stormtrooper bent over, and raised a hand, ready to take the supposed object that was in Terin's hands, when the boy opened them- to reveal nothing.

The other trooper sniggered, and the one opposite him scowled, before saying. "There isn't anything there, kid."

"You're right," Terin replied, gathering the Force towards him. "Nothing _you_ can see anyway!"

He clenched the hands closed, and the black glass of the helmet shattered into cracks, distorting the vision of the Stormtrooper and making him leap back in surprise, but the other was too slow in attacking; within moments, the large Barabel had tackled him and shoved him against the wall, before throwing him down and leaping on top, her tail around his waist, and grabbed his head, twisting it and breaking the neck. Another older Jedi rushed to the other Stormtrooper before he could press for the alarm, and grabbed him in a Force choke, holding his arm away with the Force, before pushing him against the wall and knocking him clean out.

"Nice job, Saba," The same Jedi said to the Barabel.

"This one thinks so," She hissed. "Good to enter into battle once again."

The Jedi apprentices rushed to the door as a group, and Saba pushed her hands out, the door keeling backwards and onto the ground. Behind her, Cilghal- who had Force healed herself- rushed out as a pair of Stormtroopers rushed towards the shattered door, stun guns ready, and leapt through the air, high-kicking one in the helmet and shattering the metal by aid of the Force- in times like this, when Jedi were lacking their light-sabre, they made up for the loss of weapon by the Force instead. For the youngsters, using it was risky, but the more experienced apprentices were already taking charge, taking separate groups towards windows that were spotted nearby.

"Hurry!" Saba hissed, prising one window open, and poking her head out to see a river. "Who can't swim?"

A few hands were raised, especially by the younger ones, and Saba looked to those of water origin, and hissed. "Take a non-swimmer, tie together, and go. Head to safe house, now!"

They did as instructed; Terin couldn't believe that they were all working as a team, regardless of their present skills in the Force. Where the children that were not as experience were used for stealth, climbing into the vents and leading the other ones towards the streets, the experienced ones were defending the children that were aiding them in getting out. He sensed something, and looked around, startled, and cried.

"Saba! More incoming!"

"Saba, take Terin and go!" Cilghal cried.

"No, this one can'ts swim!" Saba hissed, and pushed Terin towards Cilghal. "Go, Cilgha; this one will bide us more time."

Cilghal nodded, and grabbed Terin into her arms, but the boy yelled.

"Saba! Toria is with the Inquisitor!"

"This one knows," Saba replied. "Toria can take care of herself; smart girl, that one."

She was searching the belt of the Stormtrooper nearest her, and pulled out concussion grenades, and some flares, using her claws to strike a fuse before facing the oncoming Stormtroopers. Terin clasped Cilghal by the tabards, as she rushed towards the window and leapt out, just as Saba ignited the flares, and threw them straight at the Stormtroopers, the light getting brighter, and the flares glanced off their armour before flashing; Saba had fallen to the ground and shielded her head, but the cries of the Stormtroopers signalled that her distraction had worked.

"Grenade!" She hissed towards the remaining Jedi, and they scarpered into different directions, before rolling the activated concussion grenades towards the Stormtroopers, rushing towards the windows.

With one bound, she leapt out, just as the explosion sounded from behind her, and the shockwave carried her with increasing speed towards the water. Terin reached for her, and Cilghal followed his pointing, going straight towards Saba and grasping her arms, pulling her up whilst Terin held onto her as tightly as possible, surfacing and taking a few quick breaths of air, before Cilghal went down again, heading towards the bridge that was nearest to them, and clambering up, Terin leaping off and grasping Saba by the shoulders and helping her up, the other Jedi apprentices sitting with them, each catching their breaths.

"Do you think the others got out alright?" One whispered.

"We separated," Cilghal whispered back. "We know where to go, so we gotta keep to the shadows, climb down the hill and towards the hidden safe house."

"What about Toria?" Terin whispered. "We can't leave her with the Inquisitor."

"As this one said," Saba hissed. "She'll be fine; she's resourceful."

Ooo

Toria stood in the cubicle, looking around for some way for her to sneak out and towards a window that she had spotted a few cubicles to her right. The door was still closed, but the Inquisitor was standing right outside it, so that was out, and the cubicles were enclosed at the bottom, but not the top; she was too small to get up there, unless she climbed up onto the small ledge and over, but the drop would be risky for her as well.

So far, her chances of actually getting out were slim.

Toria chewed her lip, but tried; she pulled herself up onto the small ledge, and went on her tip toes, grasping the edge of the cubicle and swung herself up, glancing back at the Inquisitor, as he croaked.

"You nearly done?"

Toria winced, trying to figure out what to do, and lowered her voice volume, replying. "Almost."

She waited, and then nothing, the Inquisitor looking into the distance again, and she continued her slow and precarious climb towards the window, as she dropped down onto a ledge. Toria held her breath again, and moved once more, climbing onto the side and towards the cubicle that held the window, reaching up for the latch.

It was stuck fast!

Panic rose and she pulled and rattled it slightly, watching it loosen before unclipping, and gently swung the window open. It was large enough for her to squeeze through, but the drop was large. She stuck her head out and glanced around, seeing another ledge nearby that led to another window with a gutter that went straight towards the river for all the flood water.

Perfect!

Toria braced herself, reared back and kicked at the window, damaging the hinges and watched it fall the many hundred feet down the cliff, before grasping the windowledge.

The cubicle door opened, and she gasped as the Inquisitor grabbed her ankle, and she kicked out with her free leg, trying to break his hold so that she could get to the ledge nearby. Squinting her eyes, she focused the Force and caused the toilet roll nearby to fly straight at the Inquisitor, twisting around his eyes, mouth and nose, making him snarl and release her, Toria immediately pushing herself onto the ledge she was aiming for. Looking back, she grinned as the Inquisitor stuck his head out- one red eye visible- gave a wave and slid down the gutter and towards the river, where the rest of the Jedi apprentices were waiting for her.

Ooo

Getting off of Coruscant was easier than they had anticipated, but Luke was refusing to talk to Leia, and had hidden himself inside a room that he was sharing with Kam and Galen; the revelation that Leia was his twin sister was too much for him to handle right now, coupled with the stress of his Master still missing and the fact that Home Base had been taken by the Empire. Right now, for Luke, being a Rebel was the most dangerous title to ever carry; if they ventured into systems where the Rebels were not wanted anymore, and then they were in more trouble than they already were.

He sighed, and closed his eyes as he lay on his bunk, trying to find peace in the Force to get himself calm and ready for whatever they will face when they get to the River House, only to sense Leia approaching the room. Luke groaned, and turned himself so that his back faced the door, hoping to fool her into thinking he was fast asleep; he didn't want to talk to her just now, not after what she had just said. He wanted to ask the Masters first when he saw them, just to confirm, before he could accept that they were related at all.

She paused outside his room, and Luke held his breath, using the Force to make a lie to her, that he was actually asleep, trying to cast a Force illusion so that Leia believed he truly _was_ asleep. It worked; her footsteps sounded and she was gone down the corridor, and he released a breath, turning onto his back, staring at the base of the top bunk. He needed to think right now about what Leia had told him before anything else, before talking even to her about the discovery; how long had she known? When did she find out? Why didn't she say...?

He paused there; he had to be open minded and see if what she said was true. There was a lot of evidence backing up what she had said; they had an almost similar signature, with minor differences, and him bearing the most power. Their expressions were similar whenever they looked at their reflections in a window, from the surprised look to the scowl that they both shared, as well as the eye shapes, height and hairline that they both had. Leia tended to be sarcastic though, and Luke struggled to deliver that towards someone unless the situation was right, but their actions and personality were roughly the same; he liked neatness, to appear neat, and whenever he and Leia stood side by side with the same expression on their faces back at Home Base, people had commented that they looked so much a like it was scary.

_She isn't my twin, she just can't be!_ Luke thought. _It's just not right!_

He sighed again, and winced a bit when he heard Han curse as he passed the room, muttering about Wookies, and swung his legs out from under the bed. They would be arriving at Naboo soon, and he needed to prepare with the others; no point in hiding any longer.

Pulling his boots back on his feet, Luke left the room and moved towards where Kam, Galen and Leia now sat, Kam practicing with his light-sabre against a small circular droid, and perched himself down.

And across the Galaxy, the Soothsayer gave a toothless grin; the pieces were moving into place, and the Day of Reckoning was fast approaching for one of the sides of the Force. But the Soothsayer knew how vulnerable any changes actually were to the re-balancing.

Just a simple error could cost the Future, and plunge the Galaxy into even further darkness.


	88. Part VI, Chapter 8

**This chapter is a thank you to Darth Feanor, for letting me use ****their OCs in this part of Exiled.**

* * *

><p><em>THEED<em>

The planet of Naboo was just as Luke remembered; emerald continents, and sapphire coloured seas, with whisps of clouds doted around on the sky of the planet. But there was more; there were Star Destroyers that littered around the planet, moving slowly as a result of their large size, and a large super Star Destroyer was amongst them, making the Jedi apprentices on board slightly nervous. There appeared to be a Dark Side user that was around, and the Wookie seemed to sense that the trio were a bit skittish over something, but didn't bring it up, worried that something was influencing or causing them to act as though they were completely terrified over a person or an object that was around them.

Han seemed to be oblivious to the unease that the Jedi were experiencing, and he turned in his chair to face the four teenagers and said, with a frown on his features.

"Something you forgot to tell us, kids?"

Leia sighed, before running a hand through her hair, staring down the smuggler. "The Emperor is on Naboo just now, and no doubt he has brought a lot of his forces along with him to add some extra protection."

"Great," Han muttered. "Why didn't you just say? Because now, we might have to make a break for it; once that fleet locks onto us with a tractor beam- especially with a super Star Destroyer- then we are done for, sweetheart."

"Don't call me that," Leia growled. "I'm not your sweetheart, nerfherder."

The Jedi apprentices sniggered, but instantly quietened when Leia shot them a look that would have shattered diamonds. Luke had to admit he admired Leia sometimes, despite the secret that she had kept from him; he still felt betrayed that his Master and others had hidden this secret. It was obvious that the older Jedi Masters knew that he and Leia were twins, and that made him wonder what other secrets that the Masters had been keeping from him.

"Well, let's just say I call all attractive ladies a "sweetheart"," Han grinned at her, leaning back into his seat. "Especially the stubborn ones, princess."

"Shut up, laserbrain," Leia retorted, turning away and storming off, moving down the corridor and away from the Bridge.

Luke sighed, and gazed at Han, and said. "You just _had_ to annoy her, didn't you? Now, we'd get it in the neck for the rest of our lives, I hope you realise that."

"Hey, kid," Han grinned wider, and opened his arms, exposing his hands. "I have a way with the ladies; I can tell she likes me already."

"Seems she is more annoyed at you than have a crush on you," Kam sniggered, grinning at the smuggler. "Ready to kick you so hard in the backside that-."

Chewbacca suddenly gave a few growls, and pointed at something, Han turning around and looking at the controls with a frown before saying. "There's a Star Destroyer trying to contact us; I think they've locked onto us, kids."

"Well, if they ask, you're going onto Naboo for trade," Luke replied. "But get ready for a quick exit though, Han; if the lie fails, then we need this ship to move quickly and get out of range of the tractor beam. Can you do that?"

"That's like asking me if I can flick some switches," Han retorted. "As long as I keep as far away as possible from the Star Destroyers, then yes; and Chewie can increase the speed. The quicker we pass those vessels, the easier it is for us to keep away from the range of the tractor beam."

"A good theory," Galen said, with a frown on his features. "But can you prove that theory, or would we have to get ourselves out this mess when it goes wrong?"

"Listen, kid, you try it," Han snapped, turning and activating the communication centre on the _Falcon _console, before raising his voice and saying. "This is Han Solo, captain of the _Millennium Falcon."_

"_This is Admiral Thrawn, of the Imperial fleet,"_ An emotionless voice sounded. "_Millennium Falcon, you are straying into Imperial space without permission to do so! We are offering you one warning or you will be fired upon."_

Han grumbled, muttered something under his breath, before raising it again. "I repeat this is Han Solo from the _Millennium Falcon_. We are a cargo ship heading to Theed to drop off some supplies, and ask that you let us pass; I have a payment to collect when I land, and these supplies are required."

_"And I will reply with the exact same; leave, or we fire upon you,"_ The voice repeated, this time full of anger. "_Unless you have a code clearance, we will not let you pass onto Naboo and therefore to Theed."_

Han sighed, and replied. "Hold on a moment, and I'll send you the code."

He deactivated the speaker, and spoke to the Jedi apprentices and Leia when she returned. "Anybody got a memorised Imperial code or something to help get us past this blockade?"

"We have one, but it's old," Leia replied, taking her comm. link and walking towards Han. "Use it, and see; we can only try."

Han took it, and connected the comm. link to the console of the _Falcon_, flicking some switches before deactivating the mute and speaking once again to the Imperials.

"Sending the clearance code. Stand by."

Luke glanced at Leia, who gazed at him, holding her breath tightly, as did Kam and Galen; it was the waiting game for them now, and his heart pounded ferosciously in his chest as he watched the Imperial Star Destroyers move before them, worry rising that they were already positioning themselves for attack. He sucked a breath in, and closed his eyes, trying to keep his heart as calm as possible, and his signature doused down just in case any Sith were around on the vessels, but he found none.

After a few agonising moments, a beeping sound came into being and Han sighed, before saying. "We have clearance."

"Thank the Force," Leia placed her hands over her face. "Let's go, please."

"Gotcha, princess," Han replied, and shakily took the steering handles, guiding the Corellian freighter down towards the planet. "Fly casual, Chewie, and prepare for a quick getaway if they get suspicious."

The Wookie growled and roared, nodding and returned to the steering.

"Hey, Han," Luke said. "Gotta ask something; would it be wise going as we are, or should we dress to blend in? You're a smuggler; you do this all the time."

"Listen, Kid," Han glanced over his shoulder at him. "I'd dress for any occasion. Dress to blend in though, just in case."

Luke nodded, glancing at the others and jerking his head, leading them away and down the corridor towards the sleeping quarters; Han had some spare clothing that he said they could use, since their own was destroyed back at the _Twilight_ and Home Base itself. For Luke, what attracted him instantly was a black, high collared shirt that had tight sleeves, which he could wear his jacket over when he needed to, and he changed into that, crossing the overlapping layers over and fastening it tight to the opposing shoulder, stepping forth before a mirror.

It was high collared, broken in the centre in a v shape, descending to his chest, thick padded at the shoulders and over parts of his chest and abdomen for protection against fist fights- no doubt Han got into a lot of those. It fell over his black trousers though, and Luke could still fasten his belt over it, and wear his black boots, but there was a hooded cloak that Han wore for rain that he had borrowed as well. If he was going rogue in Theed, he needed to blend in well with the shadows and move as one; when a person moved, he would follow in their footsteps as an extension, a blur to them when they turned to face him, gone in a second.

Taking the remainders of the cloth that he once had for his tabards on his previous Jedi attire, Luke fastened them over his shoulders and threaded them through his belt, pulling his boots on and stepping before the full-bodied mirror.

He looked different without his usual beige attire, more... Darkened, as though he was a shadow, a son of the Night, a Jedi that had no cause anymore. For him, this was Luke Skywalker now, a man now and no longer the boy that everyone had once knew; it was time to grow up, and become a Jedi like he should be.

It was time to make his Father proud of him, and to make Obi-Wan Kenobi share that emotion too.

Ooo

Night-time had descended on Theed, a curfew now in place as the Emperor was in the Palace, and the streets to be clear of everyone and anyone that was not of the Empire's elite army; there were tanks dotted around, snipers at street corners, and squads of Stormtroopers that patrolled around, looking for those that had broken the rules and arresting them on the spot.

The plan had been simple; split up, get to the River House, and rendezvous with the other Jedi. And so, with Galen and Kam going alone to the River House, Leia, Han and Chewbacca going as a group through the slumbs of Theed that had steadily been growing, hidden from sight by anyone that realised they were Rebels, the shadow moved before a building, hidden from sight because of the night.

With one bound, and a startled Stormtrooper glancing around at the last second when he felt the slight _touch_ of a cloak against his back, the figure landed after one bound on the top of a roof, raising his cloaked head and looking towards the Palace that was at the end of the street, illuminated in grandeur and sophistication, inhabited by the most feared man that had ever existed. But for the individual, he knew who was inside, and knew that going inside without a plan would cause him most certain death.

As he closed his eyes, and focused upon his Master, he felt the brush of that old bond, and the startled vibration of the individual.

_I am here, Master._

Hope rose through him from Obi-Wan, as he realised who it was, and then... _Fear._

The figure closed the bond, and glanced around, trying to find a way to approach the Palace without getting caught, but it seemed to be the only way he could enter the Palace, and that was by being imprisoned. He sighed heavily at that, and stood slowly, rushing towards the end of the building and leaping over, landing on the roof of another, before looking over the edge.

And saw...

He swallowed and pulled himself back, glancing over again at the girl that walked past some Stormtroopers, covered in black-form fitting attire and with a metal control panel on her front, wiring ascending through the suit she wore towards a mask that adorned her lower face, covering it from view, but the figure knew that the jaw was nothing but metal, revealed underneath torn flesh. A whip was curled around her body, the hilt strapped to her belt, and a metal claw replacing her right arm.

_Lumiya..._

The figure moved slowly, shadowing her as she moved, eyes watching her for any signs of movement that would indicate that she knew he was there, and paused when she paused before a market building. She frowned, as though contemplating something, and then, suddenly, spun around and pushed her left hand out, cracking the supports that held the part of the building that the figure was lying on. Rolling, he narrowly escaped certain death, hearing it crash to the ground, and for alarmed calls from the Stormtroopers to sound beneath him.

"I thought I saw..." He heard Lumiya say, and felt the heat of lights as the Stormtroopers shone their torches upwards at his position. He cursed slightly to himself, knowing that if he moved one inch, he would be seen; he was trapped.

"Come out, Skywalker!" Lumiya yelled, her voice echoing, and the light disappeared. "Come out, where-ever you are!"

The figure held his breath, and kept as still as possible.

"Alert Lord Vader; he's here," Lumiya sounded again. "I can _smell_ him..."

"Yes, Lady Lumiya," A Stormtrooper sounded. "I'll take some squads around to find him as well."

"Good, but leave him to _me_," Lumiya's voice sounded full of thirst. "I have a score to settle with him."

The figure stood up, and called. "Then maybe you should not jump at shadows, Shira Brie; they play tricks on you."

She whirled around, and sent another Force-blast at him, but he was already gone, leaping away over towards another building, and slid down, flipping off; he had made up his mind on how he was going to approach the Palace, and that was by getting captured. He was not passing up this chance again.

Already, he sensed the fear of the other apprentices, questioning his decision and asking why, but he told them that they should continue on; he was going to rescue Obi-Wan and the others, and their lives rested in their hands. It was up to them to decide what to do.

Luke slid down and flipped, landing on the ground behind a squad of Stormtroopers and igniting his weapon, slashing upwards and de-limbing two, before spinning his blade and slicing a few more in half; his skills had grown a lot since he left Home Base, and he was determined to get inside the Palace and towards the Throne room where he knew that Obi-Wan was probably being held by the Emperor, along with Sara and Revan.

A whip cracked, and he turned to see Lumiya step forwards, barking. "HE'S MINE!"

Luke raised his light-sabre again in a challenge, holding it two handed, staring at her and waiting for her to make her move. She grasped her light-whip, and curved it around herself, twin entrails separating and making his eyes widen; this was more than what he had banked on. He gritted his teeth though, and moved into the alternate Soresu stance that Obi-Wan had taught him, ready to launch the assault when Lumiya ran straight at him, pulling her whip back and then- with one strong arm movement- the tendrils flew straight at him, the smell of burning engulfing Luke's nostrils.

He darted forwards, ducking under the metal tendril and swiped at the energy one, but he misjudged the response of the whip, the metal curving back on the rebound and cutting right into his back, making him hiss. He swiped again as she reared her arm, the whip moving upwards as she tried to trap him in a mess, bringing Luke's weapon up and cutting him across the chest, but not wounding him enough to cause him to stumble; he was use to the injuries inflicted on his body during the War, and he would bear it.

However, Luke knew he had a limit to how much he could withstand; within seconds, Lumiya was beating his defences, making him back down and try to defend himself against the onslaught, her dual action of the whip getting past his defences too easily, his light-sabre hissing and crackling as he tried his utmost best to defend himself.

It was then he sensed another dark presence approaching him from behind, but was too distracted as Lumiya closed the distance, her metal tendril flicking his light-sabre from his grip and causing it to fly into the hand of the man that Luke had seen in the holo of the _Twilight_. The next stroke sent him flying back against the ground, and he slammed into it, raising his arm to defend his face and neck, but then...

It stopped; the whip receeded and he lowered his arm to see Lumiya deactivating it and then coiling the weapon around herself. His view was blocked by a dark clothed arm, and he was grabbed around the throat, pulled to his feet and then off, grasping at the hand and staring down into the scarred face of Inquisitor Jerec himself.

He grinned, reeled a fist back, and smacked Luke right across the face, sending the boy slumping against the wall, head back and dazed, his whole body starting to go numb and struggle.

"My Lord Vader..." Jerec's voice was breaking in his ears. "We have him... This way, my Lord."

The respirator... He could hear it, Luke had dreaded that sound...

The last thing he ever saw was the mask, the helmet and those empty eyes of Darth Vader, before his world darkened around him.

Ooo

Balance! That's all it was to her; that's all Palpatine ever heard uttered by the Soothsayer.

She was sitting on the floor at his side, continuing to sketch and write on her parchment, and whenever she finished with the drawing, he summoned it to his hand and scanned it thoroughly, looking for any indication that the fate of the Sith would change, but it wouldn't; it seemed that the future was set in stone, that he would die and there was nothing he could do about it.

Then, she gasped, and looked up, eyes wide and staring around, and Palpatine gazed down as she began to sketch again on the newer parchment, going over a drawing that she had just done of the Death Star once again. He peered at it, curious as to what she was doing, and when he recognised the drawing, a smirk crawled upon his face, and he began laughing.

The drawing was of a boy, lying dead and lifeless, his eyes wide open and a gnarled hand with his own light-sabre- a perfect resemblement of the magnificent weapon he carried- before him. But before that, was another picture she had drawn in the haste when something new came to her visions; a boy, kneeling before a throne, bound and wounded, surrendering before the figure on the throne.

Palpatine grinned, and then began cackling, before the Red Guard from outside entered.

He gazed towards them, and grinned. "What news?"

"My Lord," The Guard said, his voice unnatural compared to a normal human's own. "We have captured Luke Skywalker."


	89. Part VI, Chapter 9

_THE DESTRUCTION OF THE PALACE_

Leia was tired and irritated; walking through the overgrown forests and grass of Naboo was not her definition of fun at all. And worse, she was with a smuggler that seemed to be under the illusion that she had a crush on him, and the Wookie was just a large obstacle that seemed to just get in her way.

Luke was gone; he had handed himself over to the Empire. Leia had felt his Force presence disappear through their bond, but the noise of blaster bolts and the building crumbling that she had seen from a distance, and the calls for Lord Vader indicated that they had succeeded in capturing Luke Skywalker; for her, the only hope there was of ever rescuing Luke was the Jedi that resided in the River House that Luke had lived at for the first year of his life.

She winced when her foot caught a branch, and then yelped when she fell, Han there instantly and grabbing her arm, pulling her back onto her feet and then steadying her. Leia winced at her ankle, staring down at it, before looking up at Han.

"Thanks, nerfherder."

"Anytime, princess," Han replied, guiding her towards Chewbacca as the Wookie waited a few metres away for them to catch up. He was holding a crossbow, loaded and ready to fire should any Imperials arrive that would threaten them immediately; already, the Wookie was tense, a few growls emitting from his throat, staring around whenever a twig snapped or a rock moved. "Hey, you big lump; calm down, alright?"

Chewbacca gave some growls and snarls, looking around again, waiting until they had caught up before the small group moved again in silence.

Leia glanced around, opening her masked signature and searching the surroundings for any sign of a threat or a life-form approaching as such, her eyes darting towards the shadows and back, a sudden wariness rising through her. She had the sudden feeling that they were being watched by something- or someone- and the sense of unease began to increase inside her.

Leia chewed her lip, gazing around for the source of her unease, and almost wished she hadn't; whatever it was, seemed to have noticed that she was alert and watching them, and for a moment, the source stopped and continued to observe them, waiting until Leia's reach in the Force could not be sustained any further due to her lack of advanced training compared to the Jedi. Slipping a hand into the hidden area of her sash, Leia retrieved her custom made crimson light-sabre, taking it into her hand; it was second hand, and she was taught basic combat with it so that she could defend herself long enough until help arrived.

She bit her lip, staring around as the source disappeared from her range, and whispered to Han. "Something is following us."

Han glanced around, and took his blaster from the holster on his belt, staring around as well for the individual that Leia had sensed in the Force; he made a motion to Chewbacca and the Wookie growled, nodding, before rushing off into the darkness, leaving Han and Leia alone together. The pair of humans stared around for some sign of the stalker that was nearby.

Then, another blip came to Leia, and she paused, looking around in surprise as another appearaed, and then another- similar to what she had sensed just earlier. Grasping Han's arm, Leia raised her light-sabre, ready to ignite it, fear starting to grip her heart as a purple blade exploded into life nearby, then a blue blade and another blade of a light green hue.

Leia moved into the Ataru stance and ignited the crimson blade, raising it whilst Han aimed for the wielder of the purple light-sabre, eyes staring at the beam of light, before they heard a roar sound from the distance; the wielder of the purple blade was thrown before them, and the other with the green blade rushed to where Chewbacca lunged from the shadows, the purple bladed individual rolling onto their knees. Leia's eyes widened when she recognised who it was, and gasped.

"Marris! Marris, it's me, Leia!"

The Zabrak female looked up, eyes narrowed, and then widened when she recognised Leia and jumped up. "Princess Organa!"

She immediately turned and shouted to the others. "Stand down! It's Princess Leia!"

The other two beams of light disappeared, and Leia extinguished her own blade, watching as Saba and Cilghal rushed forwards, the two teenagers gazing at the Princess with relief and worry, concerned for her safety instantly. Heaving a sigh, Leia sheathed her weapon back into her belt and clasped hands of the other two teens, nodding in greeting, before turning to Brood.

"What happened? How did you get here?" She asked.

"Well, there's a few others at the River House," Brood answered. "We- as in me, Masters Kota, Marek, Olin and Muln- escaped with Beru from Yavin, but Master Muln is injured, and Shaak was killed during the raid on Yavin; we have some youngsters at the River House, and a couple just arrived. Galen Marek and Kam Solusar are the two that had arrived."

"Where's Luke?" Cilghal asked, turning her swollen head towards Leia now, before seeing Han and Chewbacca as he appeared from the shadows. "And who are these two?"

Leia chewed her lip, before replying. "This is Han Solo, and Chewbacca; they have a ship back in Theed, and got me, Galen, Kam and Luke off world and away to Naboo. But Luke... We separated to prevent them capturing us at the same time, and he got caught by the Imperials. I haven't heard or sensed him since."

"Great," Brood muttered. "Let's get to the River House and discuss what to do about this; I swear that boy is a danger magnet, and one day, his noble attitude is just going to get him killed."

Leia tried to ignore that last part, but couldn't, feeling her heart plummet at the statement. She couldn't help but feel that Brood was maybe right at that part, that Luke Skywalker's wish to go and save the Galaxy at his young age would result in a young death for the teenager that she had recently discovered was her brother, even though he denied it. She followed the Jedi, pulling Han and Chewbacca with her as they trundled through the forest and towards an overgrown path; she knew this route now.

In a few seconds, they would soon have view of the River House, and a sense of excitement rose through her when she sensed activity from inside, and from those that she recognised. Beaming at Han- who was a bit nervous about being surrounded by Jedi- she increased her pace and pushed a branch out the way as she carefully moved up the cracked stones that led to the entrance of the House, and pushed the door open.

"Hello?" She called.

Thunderous footsteps sounded, and at least ten Jedi younglings, a few older apprentices and Jedi Master Ferus Olin and Rahm Kota appeared, eyes narrowed and their hands holding their light-sabres up at chest height, ready to be ignited should it have been an enemy that had entered the River House. Leia grinned as the younglings greeted her enthusiastically, patting the heads of some of them and hugging a small Kyp to her when he raised his arms, looking around to see if she could recognise any of the apprentices, only to notice that they were unfamiliar to her. Glancing at Han and Chewbacca- who were overwhelmed by the younglings' enthusiastic welcome (with Chewbacca playing with them, and Han looking a bit annoyed), Leia turned and said.

"Master Kota, I must speak to you; it's about Luke. And it's really important."

He nodded, before glancing at the apprentices and said. "Take the youngsters back into the sleeping room, and settle them. If you need us, we shall be upstairs in the temporary meeting room; go."

The apprentices nodded, and made motions with their hands, the younglings following them instantly, whilst Cilghal and Saba took the hands of a couple of stragglers and led them back inside the room they had just vacataed. Leia caught a glimpse, and noticed that they had turned the living area into a sleeping place, covering the hard floor with plump cushions and blankets to keep the younglings warm and secure.

Following the two Jedi Masters, Leia glanced around to see another Jedi lying on a bed, being tended to by a Rebel medic, which she instantly recognised as Garen Muln. He looked in a bad way, with his face sporting gashes and his arm bent another way, but his leg was propped up and bandaged tightly, with his foot missing, no doubt from a light-sabre attack. Leia turned her face away, and continued following Kota and Ferus, her expression now sombre as she thought of how much these Jedi had lost once again; the Rebels were scattered now, and with no-where else to go, this was the only place that they could come to, despite the risks of it being on the Emperor's homeworld, and especially when he was on the planet at the same time.

She paused her thoughts when Kota led her into the lounge, where Master Kento Marek sat, waiting for them. He raised his head from his meditation, and said. "Welcome back, Princess."

Leia nodded, and sat down in a chair, whilst Ferus and Rahm took a couple of spare chairs. She chewed her lip again, staring down at the Jedi Master, who looked up at her and said.

"Now, tell me what has happened."

Leia told them the story from when she was on Coruscant, and what Luke had said to her- missing out the part where she knew that they were twin siblings- and how they had got separated. Leia told them that Luke had got captured, and was on his way towards the Palace, and had last sensed him there when he had been captured.

The three listened intently, before Ferus said. "We have no choice; we gotta go and get him, and rescue any Jedi that are there."

"Agreed," Kento replied. "I'll organise a team that will accompany us; it's time we struck back at the Empire for what they did to Home Base, and for their crimes towards the families of the Rebel Alliance."

"What about the fleet? Have you got contact with them?" Leia asked; she needed to know how many ships they had left. If they could just launch an assault on Naboo and take out the Emperor and Vader at the same time, maybe they could repair the damage already done by the Empire.

"There are a few collections of ships left," Kota replied. "The Mon Calamarian fleet has already been in contact with us, and we have issued our order that they are to gather the remaindings of the Rebellion and ready themselves to launch an assault on the Empire here. The sooner we capture the planet and take down the Empire, the better, but we have to be prepared; if your information is true about that super weapon the Empire are building, then we are going to have a massive fight on our hands."

"We have to try," Leia said. "We can't get anywhere without doing that."

"Indeed," Kento nodded in agreement. "The fleet are standing by and waiting for our signal to enter into Hyperspace; however, if they don't get the signal within a certain time-period, they will enter Hyperspace and come here anyway. It'll just be even more risky if they do that."

"How long have we got until they have to enter?" Leia asked.

"We have a few hours, five, maybe six hours tops," Ferus replied. "So, let's get this rescue on the go; the quicker we take the Palace, the sooner we defeat the Empire and rescue anyone else that the Emperor has in his clutches."

Ooo

The sound of the cell door clanking open came to the ears of the three inhabitants that were crammed inside the small cell; for the eldest of the three, this was nothing new to him, for he had been spending a few days in this cell when he was moved from the Death Star down into the Nubian Palace. But when the door finally opened and the tall frame of Darth Vader stood there, this was something that Obi-Wan Kenobi had not bet on or even forseen.

He watched the Sith with eagle eyes, keeping Sara close and Revan even closer, glaring at the Sith and threatening him with his eyes that if he stepped any closer, then the Jedi Master will launch an attack against him, regardless of his physical state. But the Sith was silent, staring at the small family, his head slowly turning towards Revan and fixing him with a gaze that was hidden by the mask. Revan shook against his Father's arm, his eyes closed and head bowed, refusing to even glance at the Sith Lord for even a milli-second, clenching his Father's tunic tightly as though he was nothing more than a mere child now; the boy was scared too much to even attempt any witty comment, or look as though he was going to attempt anything.

"What is do you want, Vader?" Obi-Wan demanded, looking at the Cyborg.

Vader turned his attention towards him now, and spoke. "My Hand and an Inquisitor have captured Luke Skywalker."

Terror sliced through Obi-Wan's heart, and his eyes widened; no, it couldn't be possible...

"The Emperor has demanded your presence," Vader continued. "But your wife and son are to remain here in the cell; you attempt anything, and I give the signal to the Stormtroopers down here to shoot them."

Obi-Wan glanced down at Sara and Revan, as they raised their heads, fear in their eyes for him, but he couldn't help but shake his head, with a look that plainly said to them that they were to do as they were told. Sara rested her forehead against his own, closed her eyes and kissed him gently, before Obi-Wan hugged his son tight and then stood, wincing as his legs shook for a second, and paced towards Vader.

"Let's go see his worship," He said softly. "After you, Lord Vader."

Vader turned and walked out, grabbing a pair of cuffs and clicking them shut on Obi-Wan's wrists, before nodding to a Stormtrooper that closed the cell. The Sith grabbed Obi-Wan by the arm, and forcibly marched the Jedi Master towards the Throne room, Obi-Wan wincing a bit at the grip, gazing around at the squads of Stormtroopers that now lined the hallways that bore the route towards the Throne room, holding their rifles high and against their shoulders, their heads moving as they watched the Jedi Master and the Sith Lord move towards the room that held their Emperor.

Obi-Wan sensed a new presence, and his eyes widened as he recognised the source.

Luke was here, and he was hurt!

When the doors to the Throne room opened to emit them, he looked around and saw the Emperor on his throne again, the old soothsayer kneeling beside it and sketching, but there were two new individuals that were in the room; the red haired girl that he had seen at Vader's side, and on his knees before her, hands bound behind his back, with cuts and gashes all over him.

"Luke!" Obi-Wan cried, and broke free, rushing towards his apprentice. He shoved Shira aside, and placed an arm around the boy when he almost fell over, realised that Shira had been supporting him by a chain that was attached to his neck. Obi-Wan turned Luke's face towards him, staring into the petrified eyes of his apprentice, before holding him close.

"Master..." Luke rasped in his ear. "'M sorry."

"Don't be; it wasn't your fault," Obi-Wan whispered, glaring at Palpatine. "It's not your fault."

"What a sweet sight!" Palpatine stood up, a smirk on his features. "Master and apprentice, back together again, but only if the apprentice knew..."

Obi-Wan saw his eyes drift towards Vader, and then back to Luke, fear suddenly gripping his heart; if Palpatine spoke the truth about Luke's Father, before everyone, then the boy would suffer as a result. He held Luke tighter, glaring at Palpatine and almost daring him to come closer to the boy, but the Sith knew that the Jedi Master was weakened by the endless weeks of torture, and continued his slow approach towards the huddled pair, already aware that Vader was shifting, uncomfortable with the approach towards his son; even though Luke didn't know that his Father was standing in the same room as him.

Palpatine reached out, and brushed Luke's forehead, making the boy switch and yell, kicking out and striking the Emperor in the knee; instantly, Vader and Lumiya were there, grabbing the Jedi and tearing them apart, Luke being restrained by Lumiya, who had a firm grip of his hair and exposing his neck, pressing the sharp tip of a knife at his throat, growling threats into his ear. Vader was holding Obi-Wan around the throat too in a head-lock, and no matter how much the Jedi tried, he could not break free without it resulting in a broken neck.

"Luke!" He managed to gasp. "Keep calm!"

Luke tried to nod, but couldn't, Lumiya keeping a tight grip on him, whilst the Emperor recovered. The soothsayer had stood up, and was approaching them slowly, gazing straight at Luke with her blind eyes. Reaching up, she brushed a hand against his cheek, and whispered.

"Strong, healthy... Powerful. Passionate and just, so full of kindness that you are everything a Jedi should be. You will make a great Jedi Master, one day in a distant future."

Luke struggled a bit, believing that she maybe a wielder of the Dark Side, but the soothsayer smiled calmly. "Be still, young one, for I am not one of these Sith; I wield the Force for fortune telling, and may I say, your future along with miss Lumiya's here is rather complicated- as is another's own."

Her eyes turned to Obi-Wan. "But, I do not recall you being so far in that future, Master Jedi; this worries me."

"Enough," Sidious said, and the soothsayer backed off, retreating behind the Emperor as he finally recovered, raising a hand towards the other two Sith. "Bring them here; I have a surprise for them both."

Luke and Obi-Wan were harshly pushed forwards, and then to their knees together, Luke raising his head and glaring at the Emperor, who cackled.

"Such hatred towards me, young one," He crooned. "Unfit for a Jedi!"

"Why should I not bear hatred towards you?" Luke demanded. "You and Vader murdered my Father!"

Palpatine laughed, and said. "My dear boy, is that what you believe?! Who told you that, your Master?"

Luke froze, and glanced at Obi-Wan, and then returned his gaze towards Palpatine. "What... What do you mean?"

Palpatine laughed joyfully. "My goodness, Master Kenobi! What secrets have you been hiding from this poor boy?"

Obi-Wan remained silent, glaring at Palpatine, but Luke was looking confused, his eyes moving between his Master and the Emperor, unsure what to do or what to say, but before he could think of anything, Palpatine was walking towards a strange object, covered by a large rug, and swept it off with one jerk of his hand.

It was like a smaller version of the canons Obi-Wan had seen during the Clone Wars, but this one was smaller, with large, green canisters on the end of the opposite part of the nozzle, connected towards a powersource that was at the base.

Palpatine grinned, and took out a small control panel from the side, typing something in and activating the canon, which turned its nozzle towards the two Jedi, before saying. "This weapon is a smaller version of the primary weapon on the Death Star, Master Kenobi, apprentice Skywalker; when I activate the countdown, it will fire a ray that is less powerful than what is on the Death Star, by still capable of great harm towards an individual- or a ship. Master Kenobi, this technology will destroy the Rebellion, and any other individual that stands in my way!"

The canon began charging, a low hum emitting from its power sources, the canon still aimed directly at the pair of Jedi before it. Obi-Wan shifted slightly before Luke in a desperate yet futile attempt to protect him, holding his breath, ready for the canon to fire and end their lives there and then...

When suddenly, it powered off, and Lumiya screamed from behind them.

Obi-Wan glanced around in surprise and saw Saba shoving Lumiya against the wall, before throwing her against a column, and when Vader rushed forwards to tackle the arrival of the Jedi apprentice, Ferus and Rahm Kota erupted from above and dropped onto the Sith, light-sabres ignited and attacking the Sith Lord with quick movements; Vader was only just managing to block their blows, retreating back, whilst a couple of Jedi ran to face Palpatine, who only cackled and raised his hands, releasing Force lightning.

Luke glanced around to see himself looking into the face of Cilghal, who shoved a light-sabre into his hand. Igniting the blade, Luke spun around and slashed at Obi-Wan's bonds, the Jedi Master getting up and darting towards the canon, whilst the two Jedi facing Palpatine struggled to hold the lightning back; it seemed that Kento and his son were not strong enough to get past Palpatine's defence.

Rushing forwards, Obi-Wan and Luke ran straight towards the Emperor, Luke sending a Force blast straight the Emperor, and making him fall, leaping after him whilst Obi-Wan gathered what strength he had left and raised his hands, gathering the Force around the canon and shattering it into metal balls, the power source sparking and beginning to overload. Obi-Wan glanced around, trying to find Luke and Palpatine, spotting the pair still tumbling through the air before crashing on the ground.

He saw Luke raise his hand, ready to strike, when he suddenly paused, looking distant.

Then, the boy backed off, crying. "You... You were there! At the farm, when my uncle was killed! I remember you!"

Palpatine moved, getting up, and grinned. "Yes. Yes, I was, boy! And you have made a vital mistake!"

He was gone in a flick of black, leaping out the window nearest, whilst Lumiya and Vader pushed aside their foes and ran, leaving the Jedi behind in the Throne room. Turning, Obi-Wan ran to Luke, and said.

"You let the Emperor _escape?!"_

"I..." Luke started, shaking violently. "I saw him before... He killed my uncle, and..."

"Luke, there is a time and place for this," Obi-Wan said firmly. "Now, get out of here with the other Jedi; I'm going to get Sara and Revan. Move!"

Luke nodded, but glanced out the window again.

His eyes widened.

"Master," He spoke unsurely, and Obi-Wan turned to follow his gaze. "I don't think that canon was the only one that Palpatine has constructed."

"Why?" Kento asked, the Jedi moving to the window that Luke was looking out from.

Palpatine was standing on a balcony a few blocks down in a building that Obi-Wan identified as the weapon construction for the Empire, and judging by the sudden appearance of green orbs- one after the other- along the balcony he can see, there was more than the one weapon that he had just destroyed.

"Look out!" He yelled, and dived, pulling Luke down as the blasts struck the side of the palace; for a moment, the strike seemed to not have done much damage.

Then, the whole building began to shake, the columns starting to shatter. Fear rising for Sara and Revan, Obi-Wan got up and yelled.

"GET OUT OF HERE! ALL OF YOU! I'm going to get my wife and son; move!"

He turned and rushed out, shielding his head as bricks and rubble began to fall over them, whilst Luke shook on the ground, almost not registering Saba grabbing his arm, and hauling him up.

"Luke, focus!" She hissed. "We must go, or we'd be buried alive underneath this palace! Hurry!"

"Alright, alright!" Luke managed to stammer. "Let's go! Now!"

The Jedi ran as the next blast struck the palace and shook it, signalling the destruction of the main supports; the problem was only heightened by the fact that the palace was perched on a Cliffside, and thus, the whole construction would fall either way. Onto the city, which would result in the deaths of those nearby, or down the waterfall and result in their own deaths.

It seemed that the palace had chosen the last option, and was leaning precariously towards the waterfall; Luke couldn't help but think that his Master and his family were lucky. The prison cells were underground, and they could escape through the underground entrances towards the River House, but for the Jedi stuck in the Throne room, getting out would not be as easy. Indeed, Kento was running to the balcony outside the throne room and looking around, only to retreat when another blast nearly threw him back inside, hiding behind a wall and looking at the Jedi that had arrived with him.

"They have us pinned inside this room," He said, as Ferus helped the soothsayer- left by her Master- onto his back to help her escape. "If we use any of the doors, they'll fire; we're trapped in here, and if we don't get out now, there's no doubt that we will die once the palace falls over the cliff!"

"There has to be a way!" Galen demanded from his father. "There has to be!"

"There is one way," Kento addressed them all. "Get a partner! We're climbing to the top of the dome, and whatever you do, _don't stop!"_

Luke grasped Cilghal's claw, and the group ran straight towards the balcony, turning and grabbing their ascension cables, firing the small harpoons upwaters towards the gutter that was several feet above their heads, feeling the cables yank them upwards towards the gutter. The whole building was starting to keel over, and Luke could feel himself struggling to get a foot-hold, pulling himself up and using the Force to steady himself and keep a tight hold of Cilghal.

"Run! Keep going!" Kento yelled from Luke's right.

Luke obeyed, running and climbing as the dome began to keel over, seeing the city on the other side of the river that the building was ready to bypass and fall straight down the waterfall to the deadly drop below, feeling the others increase their Force useage, ready to accelerate and make the Force jump that would either save them- or kill them.

He gritted his teeth, and focused his Force energy solely on the run and his jump, ready to hear the signal that they were to make the Force jump, feeling the bricks and stone work begin to crack underneath his feet as another explosion rocks the already falling building, increasing his speed and literally dragging Cilghal along, seeing the edge approaching before them.

In unison, the Jedi jumped, catapulting themselves over the river and down towards the street, where they landed and rolled, Ferus being careful with the soothsayer on his back, before the group scarpered as they heard Stormtroopers head their way. Luke couldn't help but feel a sense of relief over what had happened.

Yet, he felt a sense of betrayal that Obi-Wan was hiding a deep dark secret about his father from him; and he was adamant to find out when the Jedi Master returned.


	90. Part VI, Chapter 10

_THE PAINFUL TRUTH  
><em>

Obi-Wan felt the tremors of the explosions, and heard the grating stonework as the whole palace began to keel over, making him only quicken his footsteps. His whole body protested at it, starved of energy and food, as he tried to push himself faster to try and reach his wife and son before the Stormtroopers executed them before he could get there in time; he had lost much already, but losing his family would end him completely, breaking his spirit.

He sensed his wife and son through the weakened connection he had with them, his breathing heavy and his body struggling to continue on. Obi-Wan pushed himself, trying to keep his starved body going, as he reached the stairs to the cells, and paused, leaning against the wall, catching his breath, before running again, hearing the Stormtroopers panicking, questioning each other about what to do, obviously not receiving any orders through from their superiors. Gathering what little strength he had left, Obi-Wan stepped out and threw his hands forwards, grabbing the Stormtroopers around the necks and choking them, before snapping their necks and throwing them against the door of the cell that held Sara and Revan.

He sagged against the wall, before crawling to the Stormtroopers and grasping for the keys, pulling himself up by the grooves of the door and steadying himself against the cell door before placing the key inside the lock, and turning it, unlocking the door and gently pushed it open.

"Dad!" Revan cried and rushed to his father as he fell to his knees, Sara right behind him and quickly balancing her husband. "You okay?"

"I'm alright, just exhausted," Obi-Wan croaked. "Come on, we have to get out of here."

Sara bit her lip, trying to keep her husband steady as they moved out into the corridor, the three of them moving towards the stairs, when Obi-Wan heard a large rumble, and smoke appeared down the stairs, rocks falling down the steps and almost striking the Jedi that were at the base of the stairs, but with Sara and Revan's quick reactions, they backed off, pulling Obi-Wan back with them, trying to defend themselves and their injured Master and family. Backing off towards the back wall, the three Kenobis kept their breathing as calm as possible, whilst Obi-Wan stared around for some way that they could get out, racking his brain for some way that they could get out of their prison and get to where the other Jedi were.

Then, he remembered; there was the river nearby, and one of the cells overlooked the river, suitable for a quick escape. Obi-Wan could only just roll his eyes at the idiocy of the Empire at that cell arrangement, as they were Jedi, and the cells were designed for lesser individuals that lacked Force powers. However, with his own powers too low, and his body too weak to help him even stand, Obi-Wan could not achieve what was necessary, but Sara had sensed his plan through their bond; letting Revan support his father, she ran towards the cell and kicked it in with aid by the Force, before gathering her Force energy towards her, and aiming it straight for the window.

With a sickening crash, the cell blew outwards, and the bricks fell into the water. Turning and running back, Sara helped Obi-Wan outside, Revan at their side, and down the side of the river, heading towards the steps that took them upwards. Glancing upwards, Obi-Wan gasped as he saw the palace fall, dust and debris starting to rain down upon them, and the trio leapt underneath a bridge and buried their faces underneath their collars, squeezing their eyes shut as the palace fell, crumbling down the waterfall and towards the sheer drop that awaited it.

His chest heaving, Obi-Wan coughed as the dust began to settle- coating them as such- and Sara pulled her husband and son towards the steps, the three of them crawling up them, literally, towards the street. Keeping close to Revan, Obi-Wan gazed around and spotted a speeder nearby that had survived the destruction, nudging Sara beside him, and indicating it. She nodded, and rushed towards it, leaping in and thumbing the ignition, gently steering the speeder towards them, and waiting patiently as Revan helped his father towards it, gently helping his father sit down in the back, before getting on next to him, his mother accelerating through the streets and out towards the countryside of Theed, worried about the other Jedi.

The wind became cooler, as the shelter of the City disappeared, and the countryside began to appear before them. Heaving a sigh, Obi-Wan closed his eyes and focused, trying to pin-point Luke and see if he was alright.

He was! His signature burned bright, and full of confusion, and judging by the ripples, was annoyed.

But not yet; Obi-Wan wasn't ready to tell him the truth about Vader, and he wasn't sure if Luke could handle the truth just yet. He needed to be older, more disciplined, and more in control.

"Where are we going?" Revan sounded in his ear, and Obi-Wan glanced at him before answering.

"The River House," Obi-Wan replied. "It was our base at the beginning, when there was so few of the Jedi left; now, it's a refuge once again, now that the Rebels are being rounded up."

"Isn't that risky?" Revan asked. "With the Emperor being on world?"

"We can't leave until its safe," Obi-Wan replied. "I just hope that the Emperor doesn't click about where it is."

The speeder slowed, and Obi-Wan raised his head, seeing the overgrown trees and plants, as they neared the area that was now giving him déjà vu; how long had it been since he was last here? Sixteen years? Now, he was starting to feel old.

Sara parked in the front, and rushed around to Obi-Wan's side, and helped him out, taking him up the steps and Revan rushing behind them, going past and towards the door, opening it and shouting.

"HELLO?"

Thunderous footsteps sounded, and Saba appeared, with a couple of other Jedi apprentices, and then seeing the state of Obi-Wan when he entered, ran to get medical kits. Guiding her husband towards the balcony, and sitting him down on the stone bench, Sara began tending to his wounds, trying to heal him and get him to recover, worry in her eyes.

"My powers are getting there," Obi-Wan told her. "I'm nearly better."

"Just... We need to get these wounds checked," Sara replied. "Just in case."

"Just a quick healing," Obi-Wan ran a hand through his hair. "We gotta destroy that factory, and those canons that the Emperor has already formed; the sooner the better."

"Well, at least it's just those canons," Revan sounded, walking in, with Ferus, Rahm and Kento following.

"Not just those canons," Obi-Wan corrected. "There's more; I was imprisoned in a space station."

"A space station?" Kento replied. "What do you mean?"

"It's the Empire's new super weapon," Obi-Wan answered. "It's capable of holding thousands of TIE fighters, and can accommodate so many troopers; it has a powerful weapons system that consists of a larger version of those canons. I've not yet seen it at work, but I can assume that it's capable of destroying fleets, and maybe whole planets, judging by the devastating factor of even those canons."

"Then we have to destroy it as soon as possible," Rahm replied. "We've managed to get into contact with the remainders of the fleet; they're on their way. We need to destroy the factory, and then figure out how to kill the Emperor and the space station- not mention Vader."

Obi-Wan could sense Luke approaching, and sighed. "We leave in an hour; we move against the factory and destroy it. Once we have, we will launch an assault on the Death Star, and destroy it- and the Emperor."

They nodded, just as Luke appeared, looking very annoyed as he stared at his Master. Waving the others away, Obi-Wan looked at his apprentice, before saying.

"What you heard at the palace-"

"You're hiding secrets from me," Luke retorted. "Secrets that concern my father, and I want to know the truth!"

"Luke," Obi-Wan said. "What I have told you about your father is the truth; he was a good friend, a powerful Jedi and was my brother. He married Padme Naberrie, at this very House, in secret, and Anakin died the night Order 66 was initiated; I'm sorry, my apprentice, but what Palpatine is trying to do is destroy you through a technique called Dun Moch; it's where a Force sensitive uses speech or negotiations to distract and destroy an enemy's will power, stopping them from fighting back. We haven't covered the technique, and thus made it difficult for you to recognise."

"But-," Luke hesitated, unsure, but then said. "I just need to know. Is Princess Leia my sister?"

Obi-Wan started at that; how did Luke find that out? No matter, it was time he learned that truth, and not the truth about Darth Vader.

"Yes, Luke," Obi-Wan whispered. "She is. We separated you both at the time of your birth to protect you from the Emperor and Darth Vader, for if a child- or children in this case- lived that shared Anakin Skywalker's blood, then they were perceived as a threat to him. Particularly a son, especially with your power, and you being so young; your power is still building, and the Emperor will try to use that to enslave you, or turn it against you."

"But..." Luke bit his lip. "He was so adamant in telling me that you lied... Why?"

Obi-Wan sighed; he didn't want to admit that the Emperor was right. "Luke, as I have just said, he is using Dun Moch against you and judging by the doubt inside you right now, it appears he has succeeded."

Luke chewed his lip; he knew Obi-Wan was right, but despite everything, all the lies, why did he believe the Emperor?

"I want you to stay here," Obi-Wan told him. "With the doubt, you go near the Emperor, and then that's it; you're done for. Myself, the rest of the Masters and a couple of the apprentices will manage."

"What? But Master!" Luke began to protest.

"No, Luke," Obi-Wan said firmly. "You're staying here, and no arguments."

Luke stared at him, unsure what to do, and feeling disappointed, but he didn't have a choice; he had to obey his Master, no matter what. As Obi-Wan moved off, Luke sat at the stone bench, thinking over what his Master had said, already aware of Han and Chewbacca approaching.

"Well, kid," Han said. "That princess is sleeping just now, and judging by the movement of the Jedi, they must be planning an assault."

"Yeah," Luke muttered. "And leaving me behind; my Master wants me to stay here."

Han sighed, and said. "Well, if he says that, maybe it's for the best."

Luke paused, and glanced at his knees, unsure what to think, or what to do.

Ooo

Palpatine stared over the construction of the canons, a smirk on his face. He may have lost the soothsayer and his palace, but that was just a sacrifice that he can ignore. The real victory he had was meeting Luke Skywalker, now a man, sowing the seeds of doubt and watering them, making them grow into a thorn bush; soon, the apprentice will be in his grasp.

He heard the respirator sound behind him, and turned to face Vader as he stepped by his side. "I want you to head back to the Death Star; if the soothsayer's pictures are correct, then the Rebel fleet will be heading straight towards us soon. I need you to take care of them."

"What about the Jedi, my Master?" Vader asked.

"Oh, don't worry about them. Not yet," Palpatine replied. "I can handle them, and soon, they shall be in my grasp, ready to watch their fleet- and hope- be destroyed."

Vader bowed his head, and turned away, walking away to get his shuttle. Palpatine turned and went back to surveying the canon construction, a smirk on his features.

Yes, the Jedi would pay the price for even existing; by watching the galaxy burn.

Ooo

Luke hated waiting around here, in the abandoned River House, that had once belonged to his mother, which had one held the Wedding of his parents. He wished he had known them, wished he had some way to interpret the nightmares that were now plaguing both his waking and sleeping moments, and sometimes, he wished there was some way he could help the others, but with Rahm being the highest ranking Jedi right now, he cannot disobey her. But, he wished he was with them, helping them to take down the factory that Palpatine had built in Naboo, upgrading the weapons so much that soon, the Stormtroopers and the more specialised squads would be unstoppable.

It bothered him though, about what Palpatine had said in the Palace! What did he mean that his Father was still alive, and that Luke's worst nightmare would soon surface, and a betrayal would occur? What was hidden so deep in his fellow Jedi- a secret- that would tear Luke into pieces?

Luke sighed, and stood up, pacing before the couch he had previously occupied, before impatience got the better of him and he walked outside towards the balcony, standing between two broken statues, hands behind his back and staring at the setting sun at the other side of the lake, his thoughts wandering as he tried to work out what Palpatine meant by what he said, but drew nothing but blanks; whatever it was, he had to work it out himself.

Closing his eyes, Luke frowned as he focused on the Force, trying to calm himself down, and keep his control in order; the last thing he would need, was for him to venture out and try and catch up with the group; Obi-Wan had given him strict orders to not follow, but that had not stopped him before, not once. Obi-Wan had always told him that his impatience was deadly, and he needed to work through that before he could become a Jedi Knight.

Opening his eyes, Luke gazed back at the setting sun, and then towards Thede, where the factory was situated, wondering if there was still a way he could help, even from afar. Clicking his tongue, Luke turned and walked back inside, his robes fluttering against the floor, before heading towards where Han and Chewbacca sat, clicking their pistols, and talking in secretive voices, pausing at the door and watching the smuggling pair with curiosity in his normally serene eyes.

The human smuggler glanced at him, before saying. "Hey, kid. What's up?"

"Nothing, just bored out my skull," Luke replied, venturing in and sitting down opposite them, leaning back and allowing his body to sink into the cushions. "I just hate waiting around and doing nothing; I prefer to act."

"Yeah, same here, kid," Han sheathed his pistol, before replying. "But if that Jedi person says you gotta stay, you need to listen to him."

"Like you listen to others," Luke shot back, frowning at Han.

"Listen, kid, I ain't one to go out and get myself killed," Han argued. "I prefer being alive, and in one piece, thank you; if that Jedi said for you, me and Chewie to stay, then we do as he says, understood?"

Luke grumbled, and took his light-sabre, staring at the silver hilt, tracing a hand down it and towards the buttons, wondering if the secret had anything to do with that night that Obi-Wan had told him about; the night that the Order was announced for the execution of the Jedi Order, and when his Father had been brutally murdered by Darth Vader. Already, the thirst for revenge rose through him, and Luke clenched the weapon tighter; Vader and Sidious obviously both had a hand in Anakin Skywalker's death, and Luke would see to it that his Father's murder was brought to justice, with the death of the two Sith, but only if he could Han to understand that! The smugglers never thought of anyone else but themselves, even when there were many lives on the line.

"See this?" Luke said, holding his weapon up so that Han and Chewbacca could see it.

"Yeah, kid," Han said slowly.

"This belonged to my Father; he was a Jedi Knight in the fallen Republic," Luke responded. "He died the same night that operation Knightfall was initiated, murdered by Sidious and Vader, trying to protect my Mother and others; I believed the fact that my Father would die for the better of the Galaxy, but before he could strike Sidious and prevent this, he was killed by Vader. My Master told me that Sidious fed on the Dark Side of the Force, and that's what made him deadly all these years, but if that factory finishes it supplies, or it's weapons leave, then millions, perhaps billions, could die; if the team fail, we are the only ones that can stop it. Imagine that, Han, if you and Chewbacca took down that factory?"

"I dunno, I can imagine quite a bit," Han replied. "But, I don't think it's wise."

"Han, please," Luke begged. "Really, we could use your help-"

"Listen, kid," Han waved a hand. "There is one reason why I ain't going near that factor, and that is the _Emperor_ is there; you go near that place while he's there, and you're done for, kid."

Luke stared at him, and then turned away. "He knows something; he knows something about my Father, which Master Kenobi isn't telling me. And I gotta know what it is."

"Sometimes, secrets are best kept hidden," Han sighed, checking his blaster. "Kid, if your Master and the others says you've to stay, then you gotta stay."

Luke glared at him from over his shoulder, and stomped off towards the balcony; no, he wasn't going to sit back and let the Jedi do this without him. He needed to know the truth, and if he could get to Palpatine and just ask, maybe he can divulge the truth from the Emperor and find out if his Father was alive, or whatever Palpatine had meant back at the palace.

He leaned against the balcony, staring at the stars, before glancing back sneakily, and leaping over the balcony, jumping onto the grass and ducking low, rushing past the view-point of the balcony and towards the bushes, pushing himself down onto his front and crawling, using the Force to sense for anything that was approaching. He paused when he sensed something wrong, released a breath of relief when it was nothing, and emerged onto the path, running down it and towards the speeder that was left behind.

Luke jumped in, and began tinkering on the ignition, activating it, before accelerating away and towards Theed, just as the sun was starting to rise at the horizon. He closed his eyes for a second, basking in the warmth as it started to bathe his skin, before heaving a sigh, opening them and staring at the City as it began to get closer. Clenching his hands tighter around the steering handles, Luke jerked it to the right, moving down a winding road towards where the factory that he could see, just ahead, and stopped the speeder at the ruined gates, before shutting it down and leaping out, creeping towards the bent over wires and gently crawling underneath the gap, glancing back before plucking up the remainder of his courage and running towards the building.

He could sense heavy life-forms, and gritted his teeth, creeping towards the building and leaping up onto a steel balcony, looking over the rail, and gently lowering himself down onto the roof, crawling towards the nearest window that was emitting light up into the sky.

His mouth fell open, when he saw the sight that lay before him.

There were machinery, and conveyer belts, moving around every few feet, slaves of gungans putting the metal together into canons, being whipped and tortured by Imperials wearing slavers uniforms, forcing them to work. His eyes drifted around, trying to find some indication as to where the Emperor could be, and spotted the hunched figure moving on a platform, followed by a blue skinned, horned creature, wielding a staff, which clicked on the ground- noticeable even amongst the noisy machinery.

Luke gently prised the window open, gazed down to check the coast was clear on the platform below it, before silently dropping down, landing in a crouch. He kept down as he moved, focusing on the Emperor as he moved slowly, as though age was upon him, making Luke confused; the Emperor moved easily in the palace, without much hesitation, but now, he was moving as though he was too old, too weak. And Luke was going to take advantage of that.

Luke silently ran on the platform, heading towards where the Emperor stood, pausing before jumping down, landing behind him and the creature.

"Hello, your murderness."

The Emperor looked around, the creature following, and grinned. "Greetings, young Skywalker! Imagine meeting you here, once again!"

"Tell me what happened that night!" Luke ordered. "The night you murdered my Father!"

"Oh?" Palpatine pretended to ponder the thought. "I forgot... So many Jedi died that night, I can't recall his name! Oh yes, I remember now; tall, dirty blonde hair, tanned skin... Anakin Skywalker?"

He grinned at Luke, and said. "Oh, that night he died, as Master Kenobi put it? Well, it so happened to go like... THIS!"

Lightning flew straight towards Luke, and he yelled as it struck, sending him catapulting straight onto the platform below them. He rolled, wincing in pain, trying to keep his body steady and not twitch, glancing up when he sensed the Emperor approaching, the hooded figure floating down towards him from above.

"My dear boy," Palpatine said. "Do you really think that your father died that day?"

"If he's not dead, you have him imprisoned!" Luke yelled, shakily getting to his feet. "Tell me where he is!"

"How about, I show you?" Palpatine grinned. "He's right below us!"

The Force blast was sudden, and Luke yelled, falling down onto the conveyer belt, rolling and slamming his hands down to try and steady himself, only to realise his right arm was lodged in a part of the canon, and a large contraption was slamming down towards him. He gasped, and rolled, the contraption landing on his imprisoned arm, and locking it in metal, restricting his movement.

He heard a rustle of robes, and looked up to see Palpatine land on the platform above the conveyer belt.

"LUKE!"

Luke turned his head, hearing the voice, and spotted his Master and the Jedi strike team on the bottom floor, lightsabres out and ignited, but was being delayed by the Stormtroopers that were guarding the entrance, trying to fight through the large numbers. He heard Palpatine cackle, and looked up at him with nothing but _fear_ in his eyes; he was trapped, and at the mercy of the Emperor, or whatever was beyond this conveyer belt.

He sensed danger, and looked around to see cutters above his head, and gasped, rolling so that it slammed down on the edges of the metal that imprisoned his arm, although keeping it sealed and giving Luke no chance of breaking free. He grabbed his lightsabre and ignited the azure blade, slashing at the cutter as it came down again- in danger of slicing his arm off- and then stabbed into the edges, splitting the metal and making him able to pull his arm free. Turning to face Palpatine, he gritted his teeth and leapt up, flipping in the air and landing on the same platform, pointing his weapon at the Emperor.

"Tell me what secret my Master is hiding from me!" He ordered.

"Hmm, I'll consider it," Palpatine sneered, eyes on the azure blade. "What would you do if I didn't tell you?"

"I'll fight you. I'll hurt you until I tear the truth out of your throat!" Luke yelled, and ran straight at the Emperor. The Sith grinned, and a metal hilt appeared in his hand, igniting into a crimson light and parrying Luke's blow, before spinning the blade and pushing him away, striking for Luke's head, and just catching his cheek.

Luke winced and placed a hand on his cheek, aware of the blood that was already beginning to stain his fingers. He glared at the Emperor, and deactivated his lightsabre, clenching his hands and working the Force through him, raising one hand and throwing a partially formed canon at Palpatine with ease, and making the Sith slash at the metal, splitting it in half, but Luke tore a piece of machinery off its support, and threw it at the Emperor, rushing after him as the Sith began to flee.

"LUKE!" He heard Obi-Wan roar. _LUKE, GET AWAY FROM HIM! DO NOT ENGAGE HIM UNTIL I'M THERE!_

_I don't care! He knows what happened to my father! He knows something you are hiding from me!_

_Luke, listen to me..._

_NO! STOP LYING TO ME!_

Luke slammed his metal shields into place, blocking Obi-Wan out, and ran after the Emperor, grabbing his knife, and throwing it straight at the Emperor. Palpatine turned, ready to deter it, but the knife struck his shoulder and made him stagger against the edge of the platform, grasping a part of the wall, glaring at Luke with hatred in his eyes.

"Tell me!" Luke yelled at him. "Tell me about my father! I want answers!"

"You want to know... So badly?" Palpatine growled. "Do you think knowing the truth will heal that emptiness? Well... You are wrong!"

Luke glared, and took a step forwards, raising his lightsabre. "Tell. Me!"

"You want the truth?" Palpatine tore the knife from his shoulder, and threw it to the ground. "Fine! When your father found out your mother was pregnant, he was distraught! He _hated_ you, boy! So much that he turned to the Dark Side!"

"No, you're lying!" Luke cried, Palpatine's very words cutting through his very core; he knew they were lies, but if he did, why was he starting to believe him? Why did his father never see him, if he was alive? Was he unwanted by him?

"Boy, think about it!" Palpatine sneered. "If he was the good Jedi that you were led to believe, would he not be here, by your side? My dear boy, he became my apprentice-"

"Stop it!" Luke couldn't believe it; this wasn't possible, this wasn't right! "Anakin Skywalker would never-"

"Never, what? Turn to the Dark Side? My boy, he did what was right; he turned to the Dark Side, and became my servant," Palpatine grinned; he had Luke now, and when the time was right, he would kill the boy with one blow. "Anakin Skywalker ceased to exist... And Darth Vader was born!"

"No, that's not true!" Luke staggered back. "That's not possible!"

"Is it not?" Palpatine stated. "Think about it, boy; does something about the pair of you not seem... Familiar?"

Now that Palpatine mentioned it, Luke _did_ notice a similarity between himself and Vader's Force essences; it seemed as though he and Vader shared that Force essence in a high level, as though they were... No, he shouldn't think like that! He shouldn't!

"You're lying," Luke whispered, so quiet that Palpatine didn't hear it. "You're lying."

"Search your feelings, boy," Palpatine's hand was grasping the wall of fabric behind him. "You know it to be true; he tried to kill you because he despised you!"

Luke's feelings of hurt and betrayal rose through him; why didn't Obi-Wan tell him? Why didn't his Master tell him the truth about his father, if it was true? Was Luke too stupid to Obi-Wan, or too naive, to have handled that truth?

"You look hurt, boy," Palpatine grinned. "Come; let me heal your wounds!"

He tore the fabric away and levitated up, revealing the large canon that was underneath, pointed straight at Luke. He gasped, and fumbled for the switch of his lightsabre, unaware that Palpatine had already activated the switch, and the canon was now about to fire at him.

"NOOO!" Obi-Wan's voice sounded through the factory.

The green ray soared straight for Luke, and despite the boy's best efforts, he could not move in time; the ray struck Luke directly in the right hand as he raised it to feebly protect his body, and he was aware that his lightsabre was shattering, and he was flying backwards.

But there was pain; intense agony that assaulted his body, and mostly his hand. He felt the bones become dust, and the pain intensified as the nerves, skin and muscle were destroyed along with the bones.

He was screaming. Screaming so much that he didn't know what else to do; his back struck something hard and it shattered, as he was thrown out the window at the other side of the platform.

Now, he was falling, the darkness starting to rise through him, and with a sickening crash, struck the water of the river at the speed he was going at.

Darkness began to increase, and he barely heard the scream of the Jedi as he lost consciousness.

Nothing but eternal darkness greeted Luke Skywalker, and on the Death Star, Darth Vader screamed his grief, sensing the loss of his son.


	91. Part VI, Chapter 11

_A LIGHTSABRE OF A LEADER_

Obi-Wan was numb, lying there in the wreckage of the blast that had claimed his apprentice, now completely defeated, light-sabre shattered and destroyed as a result. He raised his head, and winced, looking around at the other Jedi that were lying unconscious nearby. Already, Stormtroopers were rushing forwards, starting to apprehend the Jedi and bind them, but Obi-Wan's eyes were focused upon a fixed point before him.

A shattered light-sabre, with fragments of azure crystal.

He held back a strangled cry, and pulled himself towards the weapon, pushing up onto his knees and reaching over, taking the splintered metal and crystal into his hands, wires torn and shredded between his fingers. Obi-Wan leaned forwards and rested his forehead against them, closing his eyes and feeling tears rise in his eyes.

"Oh, Luke," He sobbed. "Oh, my padawan. I've failed you."

"Indeed you did, Master Kenobi," A cold voice sounded, and he looked up.

Palpatine stood before him, holding his cane before him with both hands, and smirking down at the Jedi Master; he knew that Obi-Wan was defeated, and the rest of the Jedi that were there. It was only a matter of time before he discovered where the younglings were hiding as well, and annihilated them too.

Terin, Toria, and so many were going to die because they had failed this mission.

"I told him the truth," Palpatine looked over at the river, where Luke had fallen. "And he died hearing it; what a shame that you didn't tell him when you had the chance, before he had fallen. That boy has died knowing that the Jedi are nothing more than liars, caring about only themselves."

Obi-Wan didn't respond, still staring at the fragments; his whole body was numb, even more than before, and there was nothing that could tell him that what Palpatine had said was false. The only sliver of hope was that Luke managed to swim, but the boy lacked confidence in that area, and even if he did, one arm would not help much or any limb if it remained in existence after that attack.

"Like mother, like son," Palpatine continued. "Dying for their naive ways, and because of you, both halves of Darth Vader have perished. He is now completely mine."

"That won't happen," Obi-Wan replied, but still refused to look up at him. "There's another hope; Luke was the more powerful one."

"Ah, so there is a twin," Palpatine grinned. "Well, that doesn't matter; I cannot be stopped now, no matter what you do. Once these canons are loaded up and ready, then the Empire are unstoppable; as soon as your Rebel fleet arrive to stop me, they shall be destroyed here and now. It's only a matter of time."

"You-" Obi-Wan growled.

"Yes," Palpatine chuckled. "I've won, Jedi; there is nothing you can do to stop me now."

Obi-Wan felt rage burn through his body, destroying the feeling of numbness and grief that had assaulted him before, and stood up shakily, rushing at the Emperor with a right hook ready. However, before he could strike, he felt lightning soar through his body, and the ground disappear beneath him as he was thrown back, landing against the ground heavily and wincing, holding his elbow on his right arm; he had banged it on the landing, and had a feeling that he had just damaged it severely. Glaring up at Papatine, Obi-Wan felt himself ready to launch at the Sith again, but his self-restraint told him otherwise; there was no point in trying, because the Sith would just throw him back against the ground.

A couple of Stormtroopers grabbed Obi-Wan from around the arms, hauling them up onto his knees, before pulling his arms around behind his back and binding them tightly, pulling him to his feet.

Glaring at Palpatine, Obi-Wan tried to keep his rage to a minimum, letting the Stormtroopers pull him away from where he stood and towards the shuttle, where the other Jedi were being loaded up as well. Palpatine was following close behind him, and grinned, looking at Obi-Wan.

"When I meet Lord Vader, I can't wait to tell him that _you_ were responsible for killing his son- and lying to him about his paternal side. I'm sure that would break whatever is left inside Vader that is good, and finally get him to exact revenge upon you for everything you have done to him."

Obi-Wan turned his head away, looking down the river as he tried to think over what they should do, and whether there was any way he could ensure that they would escape...

He suddenly froze, and the Stormtroopers almost fell behind him, their legs caught in his own; Obi-Wan couldn't help but feel...

Something.

His eyes widened, and he closed his eyes, searching through the Force and the shattered bond he had with Luke, only to find a small blip- the tiniest pulse of life essence through his bond with his apprentice, supposedly shattered.

He felt the Troopers shove him inside the shuttle, and glared back at them, allowing them to take him onto the shuttle. He was shoved down onto the bench, two Troopers standing by his side and aiming their rifles at Obi-Wan as the Emperor walked past him, heading towards the room he no doubt held as his own during the journeys, already sending orders to a captain, waving the trooper away. The trooper rushed past and out the ship, towards a squad that had remained behind, and before Obi-Wan could see what they were going to do, the ramp closed and the engines began to vibrate beneath them.

Yet, he had a sinking feeling about what they were going to do, and he shared a panicking glance with his fellow Jedi; they were going to the younglings, to the one place that they knew that they were going to be hidden. How stupid he must have felt, thinking that Palpatine would not have worked out where they had been hiding! After all, Cad Bane and Boba Fett have kidnapped Luke, and they probably had told Palpatine the location should the Rebellion had double-crossed them. Considering the resignation of the pair a few months ago, Obi-Wan could tell that the pair had told the Emperor, and probably for a larger sum of money than the Rebellion had been offering.

Obi-Wan felt the lurch of the ship as it blasted off completely, and then fear as he realised where they were probably heading. And judging by the looks on the other Jedi Masters, he had a sneaky suspicion that the Rebel fleet would be on its way now.

Ooo

Pain, which was all he felt; constant pain, and emptiness in his right wrist.

A droplet struck his forehead, and he winced, groaning slightly and turning his head to the side, immediately regretting it when he felt pain soar through his body completely, instead of remaining in his arm. Another droplet fell, landing in the most annoying place he preferred it to not be, and he shook his head, his hair sticking up and becoming messy, before the boy decided to try and open his eyes.

Carefully, he did so and stared up to see a fish swim before him.

Wait... A fish?!

Luke gasped, and jumped, wincing instantly at his whole body as it protested instantly, wrapping his left arm around his chest, feeling a bandage around his chest, and stared down at his torso, seeing that his shirt was gone, and his body was bare, with a large bandage around his chest and up over his right shoulder, winding down his arm towards the elbow. Another bandage was around his wrist- what was left of it- and where the hand had once been, was now a stump covered by the same bandage, with a metal plate around the edge of the stump, two small openings inside. Luke winced as pain assaulted him from his now missing hand, and looked at it, the emptiness now arising and the wires connecting to his nerves now recognised; how he was starting to hate this feeling, this absence.

He gazed around the room he was in, noting the large bed he was lying on, and the absence of any other furniture as such. Where-ever he was, Luke could tell he was underwater, noting the large dome he was safely inside, fish moving around him, and occasionally, a large underwater creature of some sort, appearing from the darkness and coming close, before disappearing into the murky water. Gently, Luke threw off his covers and moved his legs, wincing slightly as more pain assaulted his body as he struggled to move his weakened body forwards.

The door opened, and he looked up at the tall, shadowy figure that stood there, fear gripping his heart, worried it was an enemy.

Then, the shadow became more recognisable, and Chewbacca roared, opening his arms and hugging Luke tightly to him, the boy coughing and spluttering, before he heard the sound of two more people approaching, and glanced over the Wookie's shoulder to see Han and Leia standing at the door.

"Luke!" Leia cried, and she rushed forwards too, Chewbacca lowering him down only for Luke to be grabbed in a bear hug by Leia. He coughed, but embraced her back, the stump of his right arm noticeable as he hugged her with his arm too, burying his face in her shoulder. "It's okay, Luke; we'll find a way. We'll save them."

"How we gonna manage that?" Han asked, entering into the room. "Listen, there is no-way we are gonna rescue those Jedi; the kid is injured, and there are only four of us."

"Correction," Leia released Luke and turned to Han. "There is a whole fleet, heading towards Naboo; we didn't contact them in time. They're on their way over."

"But we have to do something," Luke replied. "We can't just leave them; even if they arrive, can they destroy the Empire?"

"I don't know," Leia whispered. "But we have to be able to do something; where-ever they are taking the Jedi, they could wipe out the whole Jedi Order, especially with those Jedi Masters on board. There is only Bultar Swann and Tsui that is with the fleet now, but the stronger ones are with the Empire."

"Listen, kid, you aren't making sense," Han scratched the back of his head. "So, those Jedi the Empire have captured are the most powerful of the bunch, and if they kill those younglings too, then the whole Jedi Order dies?"

"Pretty much, yes," Luke replied.

The door opened at that moment, and a gungan entered, carrying tools and an unknown object covered by cloth. He nodded in greeting at the group, and stepped up towards the bed, motioning for Luke to sit down, which he did without hesitation, swinging his legs onto the bed and lying back, watching as the gungan placed the tray down and removed the cloth, revealing the basic model of a prosthetic hand.

"What a cheap model," Han commented, frowning at the hand; the tips of the five digits were swollen, as were the joints and the main grasping point of the hand, but to Luke, it was better than nothing. At the base, was a metal casket, similar to what he had on his wrist, with grooves that could seal the basic hand to his wrist.

The gungan looked insulted at Han's comment, and glared, before raising the hand and gently tugging some wires through two holes in the base of the hand, indicating for Luke's arm, which he gave without hesitation. The gungan threaded the wires through the holes in Luke's stump, and he winced when he felt them connect to the wires already inside his arm with a small jolt of electricity. The gungan placed the hand on the port, and turned it, hearing the click of the hand as it held in place, before looking up at Luke and nodding for his reaction.

"It's fine," He comforted. "Don't worry."

The gungan smiled, and took a needle, gently jabbing the tips of Luke's fingers, making him wince a bit, before flexing his fingers and moving his wrist, hearing the whirling of the gears and the sparking of the wires into his nerves. He smiled at the gungan and spoke a thank you, before reaching for a black glove that the gungan offered, gently pulling it on his hand and staring down at it, the swollen tips and joints making it seem like an actual hand underneath the glove.

"Thank you," Luke repeated, and the gungan stood, taking the tray.

"Anytime. But I am to pass a message to you; there is a woman awaiting you outside, quite old, and she wishes to speak to you."

"Oh, thank you," Luke replied, and tried to stand, but his legs began to shake beneath him. Han was there instantly, holding onto Luke's arm and guiding him outside into the corridor, and down towards another room, leaving Leia and Chewbacca to trail behind him. Chewing his lip, Luke tried to remember what had happened back at the factory; all he remembered was the green light, Palpatine's laugh, and the haunted words that kept assaulting his mind since he had spoken them.

Was Vader truly his Father? Was the man inside that suit Anakin Skywalker, turned to the Dark Side?

He was so lost in his thoughts, and the increasing dread inside his body, that he didn't realise Han had stopped and nearly stumbled, glancing at him before looking to see the Soothsayer that they had rescued from the Palace earlier that day. Luke glanced at Han, Leia and Chewbacca, before turning to see the Soothsayer staring at him, her blind eyes fixed on him, and released Han's arm, walking towards her with legs that felt like jelly, and sitting down beside her, holding his prosthetic hand against his chest.

"Hello, young Skywalker," Soothsayer whispered. "I am glad to see you up and about already. It warms my heart."

"Erm, thank you," Luke replied, shifting uncomfortably. "But, what is it do you wish to see me about?"

"It appears that you have done what is not necessary," The Soothsayer indicated Han and Leia to depart, and grudgingly, the pair did so. "I had not forseen you going to the factory, nor you losing your hand."

"Well, that's what happens," Luke retorted. "Palpatine had told me things-"

"About your father?" The Soothsayer questioned. "Well, some of those things... Are true."

Luke froze a feeling of dread rising through him; what was true? That Vader was his father?

"What you fear, is correct," The Soothsayer continued. "Anakin Skywalker is your father, but he fell the night that Order 66 was initiated; he led an assault on the Jedi Temple and killed any that stood in his path, all because of Palpatine feeding him lies, much like he has with you. Vader did not hate you, Luke Skywalker; he loved his unborn child so much, that he would have done anything to have saved you."

"And that required killing the Jedi?" Luke questioned.

"Possibly not," The Soothsayer replied sadly. "But he had been drifting from the Jedi for years before; Palpatine had met him at such a young age, and had taken him under his wing almost instantly, feeding him anything and everything to stroke his ego and make him distance himself from the Jedi Order. He turned against the man he had considered his father- your master, Obi-Wan Kenobi."

"Why did Obi-Wan lie to me?" Luke asked.

"He was not ready to tell you the truth, that he had failed to keep your father on the path of the light," The Soothsayer answered. "He felt that he didn't want to fail with _you_; your Master was wary about training you, because he didn't want to fail your training and see you turn as well. He felt unworthy to have trained an exceptionally gifted youngster such as yourself, but did what he could; your power has grown stronger these past few months, and now that you are nearing to becoming a man, Palpatine wanted you dead instead of turned."

"But... Why?" Luke whispered.

"Palpatine believes that any offspring of Anakin Skywalker- Vader- would be seen as a threat to him. The Emperor believes that a son would destroy his Empire that he has been building for nearly two decades, in fact, even longer, since he became Chancellor; you are mentioned in a prophecy, long fortold by many Jedi thousands of years ago."

"What prophecy?"

"Oh, the prophecy considers the Chosen One," The Soothsayer replied. "You are briefly mentioned; in a line that Palpatine fears above all others."

She smiled at him, and whispered. "_And with the son, the Jedi shall truly return."_

Luke was lost in his thoughts; this was too much for him to handle, or was it? Did he not feel betrayed by his master for not telling him? But, why did he act like that, when his Master was trying to protect him after all this time, trying to keep him secure and safe away from the Emperor? It all fell to Palpatine; the Sith had turned his Father to the Dark Side, but was worried that the son would cause all his plans to fall to ruin, and he didn't care of any potential that Luke bore towards him. As long as a son of Skywalker remained, or even a daughter, then Palpatine was defeated.

"Alright," Luke finally said. "Alright. I'll do everything possible to fight against Palpatine and end him, but... I don't have a light-sabre! And I've just got my prosthetic hand!"

"My dear boy," The Soothsayer said in surprise. "The hand you have... It's on the right setting for you to grip just right for your weapon; I made sure of it. And I hope you have at least some skill of building a light-sabre; after all, your Master is a Jedi Master. Surely he had taught you something!"

Now that she mentioned it, Obi-Wan _had_ taught him how to build a light-sabre. Yes, Luke can do that, and he would build the weapon he needed to take down Palpatine- and restore Vader to his former glory as Anakin Skywalker, or die trying.

"Alright, but I need the tools, the right power cells, and a crystal as well," Luke replied. "I need everything in order to do so."

The Soothsayer grinned, before saying to him. "My boy, I have had experience with the Jedi before, and all I can say is that you will have your wish; when you return to your room, you will find fresh clothes, boots, and pieces of metal and the crystal you seek. However, it is... Unstable and only the right Jedi can tame it. I have a feeling _you_ will."

And with that, she stood, and spoke. "May the Force be with you, Luke Skywalker, son of the suns."

Luke blinked, and started, as she melted away before his eyes. Gazing around, Luke gently eased himself up and stumbled back towards his room, aware that Han, Leia and Chewbacca were already gone, and entered the doorway, pausing when he saw the items that the Soothsayer had told him about.

A black-sleeveless top lay first, followed by a longsleeved tunic, with a side clip and highcollar. Black boots stood before them, with black breeches at the side, followed by a pair of grey tabards, and a belt with a grooving in the metal clasp in the centre, with the old-fashioned Jedi symbol in the centre, a hook for a light-sabre. Luke chewed his lip, closed his door, and reached over, wincing as he began to change into the new clothes, keeping his bandages on to safe-guard his wounds, before turning to the line of metal shapes and gadgets on the bed, with a wooden box at the end.

Reaching over, Luke took it, sitting down, and opened the box, peering inside and staring at the green glow that was emitting from inside the box, before closing it, and placing the box down. He reached over and took the gadgets and the tools, beginning his work on the weapon he needed.

_Focus..._ He kept telling himself. _Let the Force guide you; close your eyes, and let it work through your hands and show you how to move._

That was what Obi-Wan told him, and he closed his eyes, letting his hands work over the metal and the tools, finding himself moving with instinct, and connecting wires, the power cells... Everything.

He opened his eyes, and reached over to the box, taking the green crystal, and working the Force through his hands, whispering to it and willing it to allow him to use it as such, and took a deep breath. Luke began to seal the crystal inside, everything falling instinctively into place, and his hands working with grace and elegance, before holding the finished product in his hand.

Luke took a deep breath, and turned the light-sabre in his hand, suddenly scared of activating it, in case the unstable crystal blew up in his face and injured him heavily. He released the breath he had been holding in, and plucked up the courage he needed, and thumbed the ignition switch.

The dome became illuminated in emerald light.


	92. Part VI, Chapter 12

**I apologize for the shortness of the chapter; but this is building up to the battle, which is gonna be a VERY big chapter.**

* * *

><p><em>PREPARATIONS<em>

Across space, the fleet was moving into position; Mon Calamarian cruisers, smaller Rebel ships and X-Wings dominated the sky, the occasional Y-Wing appearing from the throng and soaring towards others, as the squadrons moved towards the frontal ships that bore the leaders of the assault that would soon be undertaken.

On board the main Mon Calamarian battle cruiser, which was bustling with activity, Bultar Swan stood with her arms folded and staring out at the stars, her expression calm, yet her eyes were as though there was a storm raging inside them; she was geared for battle, ready to enter at the first signal that the Jedi had got from Admiral Ackbar. Closing her eyes, Bultar looked into the Force, trying to find some way, some sort of sign that she and Tsui could make their move and arrive at Naboo for the battle.

Reopening her eyes, she turned to the Jedi Master behind her, and said. "It's time; we have to move the fleet into position and attack the Emperor whilst he's on Naboo. Without the protection of his fleet, and Coruscant, we are able to strike him down before he could return to his high-seat."

"Until we are sure," Tsui replied. "We cannot move against the Emperor, not without the clearance by the Jedi on Naboo, and with so many of us gone."

"We have to do what is right."

Bultar turned and walked towards the highest platform of the bridge, and towards a tall Mon Calamari that stood out of his seat, observing the stars that were in the distance, his webbed hands held behind his back. Stepping beside the Admiral, Bultar returned her gaze towards the stars too, and surveyed the path that the fleet would be undertaking, an X-Wing passing before them and around, heading towards its squadron. Glancing towards the Admiral, she finally spoke out.

"Ackbar, the timer is nearly set to zero for the contact between us and the Jedi. We need your orders."

Ackbar gave a grating sigh, before turning to face Bultar, his large eyes sad, and his hands still clasped behind his back.

"Then we have no choice," He replied, before turning to address the others that were on the bridge. "Prepare to enter hyperspace; we depart for Naboo in one minute, and will arrive at 1800 hours. Alert the fleet."

A Mon Calamaria nodded, and turned to the control panel, repeating the message towards the other ships and the fighters, Bultar sensing the engines of the ships increasing their power, and the fighters moving close towards them so that they were within the same shell should they enter hyperspace. Closing her eyes again, Bultar reached out with the Force, trying to find out if there was any way she could contact the Jedi Masters on Naboo and figure out how long they were going to take with their own plans, or whether they should hold back a bit longer, just in case...

She opened her eyes again, and turned, walking towards where Tsui stood, the non-human Jedi Master surveying the activity of the Mon Calamarians as Ackbar sat down on his seat, and leaned back, his claws clenching the arm rests as such, and staring at a screen, activating some switches and turning to face the blackness that made space.

"In a scale of one to ten," Bultar said to Tsui. "With ten being the most bloodiest and destructive battle ever, what do you think this would be?"

"What a question to ask," Tsui answered, but sighed. "I believe this is going to be twenty on that scale, Bultar; this is going to be the biggest battle that the Rebel Alliance will ever endure."

Bultar nodded and made to reply back, when she heard Ackbar call.

"Hyperspace, on my mark; prepare the jump!"

All around, the activity increased, and the Mon Calamarians around them began to flip switches and activate systems, the fleet now gathered into one. Grasping the bar before her, Bultar glancing around at Tsui, who nodded as he grasped the bar before him also, trying to keep the calm they had been using to shelter their rising feelings of worry and concern over their comrades.

Ooo

Ignoring Leia and Han's concern over his wellbeing, Luke had managed to convince the gungans to part with a ship for them to head back to the surface, regardless of his injuries- masked by the clothing he had on- and how well he could cope with the stress and the chances of them fighting should they face any Stormtroopers.

When Luke approached the leaders, they had also come up with a decision- in secret- that they would rise up against the Empire and attack, free the Naboo and help the injured Jedi apprentice and his friends- one would comment that he bore a resemblance towards a friend of his, a long time ago, died at the fall of the Republic. Once Luke had revealed that his mother was Padme Amidala, and his father was Anakin Skywalker, the gungans' minds were made up, and they stood, declaring that they would honour the memory of the pair and help them overthrow the Empire.

Before Luke could realise what was happening, the gungans were armouring up, and bringing out what weapons they had left, already heading towards the surface of the water, with Luke swimming behind them, wearing a mask and a pair of flippers to aid in his ascent, Han behind him, whilst Leia and Chewbacca took a water speeder up to the surface, breaking through into one opening of the forest that contained a pool.

Surfacing, Luke pulled himself out, wincing at his right arm, and ripped the mask off, before sitting up and untying his flippers, pushing them onto the ground before soarting his boots, looking up as Han stepped before him, having stripped his swimsuit off and wearing a white shirt. Luke took his offered hand and stood up with a wince, slowly and gently stripping off his wet-suit, throwing it to the bushes alongside Han's own.

Looking up at the smuggler, Luke asked. "When we manage to get into Thede, we get your ship, and go and look for my Master and the others; I can trace them with the Force."

"Okay, kid, but with the Imperials stalking around, how are we going to lure them from the streets?" Han asked.

"The gungans," Luke replied. "The gungans are going to lure the Imperials away, and attack; they're gonna fight for the freedom of Naboo once again."

"You realise that this is gonna be a bloodbath," Han pointed out.

"Wesa gonna do our part," The gungan nearest him replied. "Wesa gonna install hope into the Naboo to strike back at the Empire."

"Good," Luke nodded. "We'll take a small group to Thede and launch an assault on the Imperials that remain, and rally any willing Naboo soldiers that are there; myself, Han, Leia and Chewbacca are going to find the Masters. The Emperor and Vader must be holding them somewhere."

"Then let's get moving," Han replied, nodding at Chewbacca and Leia as they approached, their water-speeder abandoned, and the gungans ready to begin.

Luke turned to his small group, made an indication with his head and took his cloak, pulling his hood up and leading the squad and his friends at top speed through the forest, keeping his arm against his chest.

He froze suddenly after a while, and indicated for the others behind him to get down, taking his light-sabre and approaching where he sensed something coming towards them, and ignited the emerald blade with a _snap-hiss_. He gritted his teeth, took a step forwards, and then leapt out, tackling a Barabel to the ground and pinning them, holding the point of his light-sabre at her chin.

He gasped, and got off instantly. "Saba!"

"Luke!" She hissed, getting up instantly, just as the bushes moved behind her, and a very battered group of Jedi apprentices appeared; Cilghal, Kyle Katarn, Galen Marek, Kenth Hamner, Corran Horn, Kam Solusar and Tionne.

They instantly crowded around him, glad to see him alive and well, giving their stories of how they escaped the Imperials, and that the youngsters are with Garen Muln and Sara Kenobi, hidden underground until they were sure that it was safe to emerge.

Luke's eyes widened when another figure appeared, and he gasped. "Revan!"

Revan grinned, and stepped forwards. "Alright, bro? How's it hanging?"

Luke extinguished his light-sabre, and smiled sadly. "I'm fine, just hurt on the right side of my torso."

"Luke," Han suddenly sounded. "Listen, as much as I like this reunion, the army is moving; if we ain't in the City by a specific time, then there is no point launching this assault against the Emperor."

"Wait, you're going against the Emperor?!" Kyle repeated. "You serious! I want in!"

"No!" Luke argued. "No, you can't; we need most of the Order to survive-"

"And look where that got us?" Kam replied. "We nearly got skinned; it's time for the next generation to rescue their elders, Luke. And I believe that the Helm will fall to us now; we're coming, and nothing is gonna stop us now."

"Yeah!" Saba hissed. "Time to show those Imperials not to mess with the Jedi Order."

Luke gazed around at each of them, noticing that they were standing in a circle, close knit and as one, standing tall and beside one another. The only difference was that he was in the middle, as though they had selected him to lead them on some crusade, no matter what the danger is that the crusade possessed towards them.

A light-sabre snapped into existence, and Kenth raised it, followed by Cilghal, and Saba. One by one, they ignited their light-sabres and held them high above their heads in some sort of salute, Leia joining and her crimson weapon adding to the light already casted by the others.

Luke gazed down at the weapon in his grip, and ignited it, raising it at the centre of the circle, pointing it straight into the sky, where above their heads, the fleet erupted from hyperspace, and the sounds of the horns of War from the gungans bellowed in the distance.

Extinguishing their blades, the future Jedi Masters ran into the forest, rushing towards Thede, their army in tow.

Ooo

On the Death Star, at the other side of Naboo, the Emperor sensed the fleet erupt into existence, and when he heard from his commander that an army was seen approaching Thede, he had a sneaky suspiscion that he had missed something that the Soothsayer had forseen; did she not draw this at one point? An army gathering to stop him?

No, now that he thought about it, she didn't; and that _scared_ him. For the first time in his life, Darth Sidious, Emperor of the Galaxy and most powerful Sith that had ever existed, was terrified, and if he had read Obi-Wan Kenobi's emotions right earlier, he had a sinking feeling that Luke Skywalker was still alive.

There was only one solution to breaking Luke Skywalker now, and that was destroying the same anchor that Vader had; his Master.

It was time for Obi-Wan Kenobi's life to end, and when he signalled Lumiya to fetch the Master from his cell deep in the belly of the Death Star, she did it without hesitation, having sensed his fear; Force, even _Vader_ was trembling beside him, knowing his Master was scared.

"What do we do about the gungan uprising?" Vader sounded.

"It'll be destroyed soon enough; the Naboo will not bend to the aliens, not with their Emperor near them as well," Palpatine replied. "Soon, the Rebel Alliance will be destroyed, along with the Jedi, and the first casualty will be your Master- former, I might add- by your hand."

"Of course," Vader bowed his head. "Thank you, Master."

"Go, and wait for me to call you," Palpatine instructed. "I need to meditate on these recent events."

Vader bowed, and turned, leaving in a flicker of his black cape. Leaning back on his throne, Palpatine steepled his fingers, trying to figure out why he didn't forsee this himself; after all, he was more powerful than anything else in existence, with the Dark Side by his side, ready to be used at his command. Why was he scared?

Of course, he _was_ scared that the Force had not told him this before, had left him in the dark as they say, and he had a sudden feeling that Luke Skywalker was coming.

_You're right,_ a voice sounded in his head, and Palpatine shuddered. _You are so VERY right, Sidious; I'm coming for you, and this time, you won't be able to hide._

_You can't hide from me, cower behind your subjects, _Luke told him through his mind. _I, the Son of the Suns, am coming for YOU; and this time, I won't listen to your lies._

_I'm coming to finish what my Father should have done eighteen years ago._

_You... You're dead! _Palpatine stammered. _You are! I saw you!_

_No, I'm alive,_ Luke replied. _And I'm going to tear your Empire down, piece by piece._

He disappeared, and Palpatine was left, staring at the floor. He clenched the arms of his throne tightly, and scolded himself that he shouldn't let a mere _boy_ insult and scare him; what chance did Skywalker have against him, a full trained Lord of the Sith?

No, when Skywalker arrived, Palpatine would make sure that he enjoyed every single moment of their fight, and take him down right before his Father's eyes if possible.

_First, I'll destroy the Fleet and make sure Skywalker watch, and then I'll make sure his Master dies before him. And once that is over, Skywalker will be mine, and nothing will stop me from totally dominating the Galaxy!_


	93. Part VI, Chapter 13

_THE BATTLE OF NABOO_

On the plains outside Theed, the gungan army was moving slowly towards the City, drums sounding in a steady tune, horns blasting out in the gungan's War calls. The massive beasts that carried the shield generators were dotted throughout the mass of long eared creatures, some roaring, some snorting as they walked towards the centre of the hill, the generals at the front and watching for any sign of the Imperials when they arrived.

For the old gungan in the middle- who had initiated the vote in favour to aid the Jedi- this was a battle he had hoped to never see again; he had stood on this very grass, leading an army similar to the one now on the battle of Naboo many years ago. Curling his clawed hands around the reigns of his steed, the gungan surveyed the City in the distance, sadness on his features and in his eyes as he tried to recall the last words he had said to Padme Amidala, to Anakin Skywalker, and wondered if their son was now deep inside the City with his squad, ready to take on the Emperor and Vader themselves.

Glancing around at the Generals that were around him, the old gungan cleared his throat, and announced.

"Hold here."

The army hesitated, waiting at their side of the hill for the Imperials, their breaths held and weapons prepared for the assault that would happen just moments from now.

Then, they heard it; machinery sounds erupted through the air, and the gungans tensed at the sound, before activating the shields. The generators glowed bright blue, and rays appeared, rising upwards and meeting at a point together in the sky, forming domes around the army as four Imperial Walkers appeared over the hill, their heads turned towards them, and the frontal guns activating, striking the shields.

Some of the gungans shifted, but the old gungan waved his hand, asking for them to steady and keep calm, the shields holding and shaking only slightly. Seeing that their weapons aren't working effectively, the walkers stopped and held, remaining silent on the hill, as though the walkers were alive, observing the army at the other end of the hill like they were prey for them to consume without any hesitation and with ease.

Then, the sounds of tanks came into existence, and the massive metal beasts appeared, moving over the ground with ease and firing at the shields, only causing them to shake once again, but still continued to move, larger canons appearing from the back and igniting in green rays instead, striking the shield and blasting through, just as the sides of the Walkers opened up, and Stormtroopers descended down on ropes onto the grass, following the tanks towards the shield, their rifles ready for attack as the green rays continued their assault on the shield, breaking through the energy and towards the generators.

The old gungan gasped, and signalled for an assault, the Stormtroopers rushing in a line towards the shield- and passing through. Instantly, they began firing, the gungans at the front activating their shields.

Only too late for some; the gungans were struck at the front, the continuous firing of the Stormtroopers hammering into their lines and killing any that were struck by the red rays, with the green rays moving towards the beasts from the tanks as they slowly closed towards the shield, ready to burst through should the shields break.

With a massive explosion, and a beast's dying roar, the shield began to splutter and die, fading away and receding behind the lines of the gungans, exactly what the Imperials were waiting for. Within moments, their massive canons ignited in emerald light, blasting into the lines of the gungans as the old General signalled for the attack, the amphibious creatures rushing forwards and attacking the Stormtroopers that were before them, swiping with their staffs and killing them by breaking their necks.

Urging his steed forwards, the old General led the mounted troops forwards towards the tanks and the Walkers as they ambled forwards, the machines blasting anything in their path, sometimes over-shooting and striking the forest, causing fires to rage behind the gungans.

No way to escape now.

The old General steered his beast towards the lead tank, where he could see the leader- dressed in black compared to the white Stormtroopers- standing observing the devastation that was before him. Grabbing his spear, the General urged his beast forwards, feeling it leap over the conflict and landing a moment later with ease, heading towards the tank as it turned the top gun towards him, the end of the nozzle igniting in an emerald light.

"Mesa sorry, Padme," The General whispered to himself. "Mesa sorry for letting _him_ become Emperor."

The General threw the spear, watching it soar through the air at the same moment as the nozzle ignited and the green ray struck his beast, obliterating the very cellular structure, and the rider with it, nothing left but a mangled corpse.

Ooo

Theed was strangely quiet, which meant the diversion of the gungan army was working to perfection. There was obviously going to be remnants of the Imperials in the heart of the City, and crossing that would be the biggest barrier towards the Jedi apprentices and their squad, but not so if they could rally the Nubian resistance to their side by showing that they were willing to fight against the Imperials- to secure their freedom.

Luke led his group through an alleyway towards the ruined Palace, pausing and leaning against the wall as he glanced around the corner, seeing the Imperial tanks just a few metres away, Stormtroopers standing around, occasionally looking around in an attempt to keep themselves occupied. Grabbing his small light, Luke flashed the red laser thrice towards the street opposite, before waiting for a response.

It came; Leia activated her green laser thrice, before glancing back towards the stolen Nubian armoured speeder, waving it forwards. The driver was Han, and the gun controller was Corran, turning the medium sized canon towards the tank nearest to them, and slapping a switch to activate the main firing mechanism.

With a short blast of blue, and an explosion as the tank was struck, the skirmish of Theed began.

Luke ignited his light-sabre, and rushed out, leading his squad out as the tanks turned towards them, ready to aim straight at them and deal the deadly blow, but failing to realise that Galen was raising his hands, crushing the nozzles and causing the blasts to backfire, destroying the inhabitants. Leaving the speeder, Han and Corran leapt out, Han firing continuous blaster laser towards the mass of white as the Stormtroopers rushed forwards, rifles ready to fight against the Jedi and their small squad; small compared to their numbers.

Luke joined Kyle and Kenth- both flanking him- as he ran towards the Stormtroopers, and pushed his left hand out, expelling a Force blast and sending a line catapulting back against the wall, only to duck when Saba leapt over, hunting reflexes activated. Motioning for his squad to push forwards, Luke leapt through the air and flipped, pushing his hand out and flattening a circle of Stormtroopers, landing amongst them.

With a few strokes of his light-sabre, he separated heads from bodies, or limbs, before turning to face a new group of Stormtroopers, desperation on his features.

They were too outnumbered!

From the river, a blast of water erupted and Cilghal emerged from the fountain, leaping up and igniting her light-sabre in a snap, gungans appearing behind her and throwing their spears towards the Stormtroopers, one in a tank's upper canon getting struck and slumping against the controls, sending the large machine spiralling out of control and towards a building, shattering the stonework and catching fire, the rocks crumbling down onto the metal beast.

New blaster shots sounded- high and sharp- and Luke glanced around as smartly dressed men rushed forwards, aiming for the Stormtroopers as well, doors being torn open and the inhabitants of many of the buildings rushing out, blasters in hand and attacking the troopers; it seemed the Naboo were determined to reclaim their planet, their home, from the monsters that had enslaved them, wanting to make up for the evil that had come from the planet that was now ruling them with an iron fist.

Luke was so distracted by the entrance that he almost missed a Stormtrooper aiming for his head, until a high shriek sounded and they fell behind him. Gazing around, he was met by an elderly couple, who grabbed his arm and rushed off, leading him away from the conflict and towards the alleyways, where the fighting had got less.

"Wait!" Luke tore his arm free. "What are you doing?!"

"Getting you to a fighter!" The man replied. "Listen, when the Emperor gets word of this, he'll blow the planet up! You gotta get up there!"

"Who are you?" Luke demanded, staring at the man and woman with uncertainty, trying to work out their intent. He had a plan, and that was for he, Han and Leia to get to the _Falcon_ and to rescue the Jedi Masters. "And I already have a plan!"

"You really think that heap of junk is going to get you past the scanners? A smaller ship gives you a much bigger chance," The man argued. "Now go, boy; your friends can handle down here."

Luke glanced back at Han and his sister, who had turned to see him. He sent her the new plan through the Force, and her eyes widened, a plea for him to stay and continue with the plan they already had in place, but he shook his head.

_I love you, sister._

Luke turned to face the man and woman, and asked. "Who are you? Before I go."

"Ruwee and Jobal," The man replied. "Naberrie."

"Ruwee and Jobal," Luke repeated. "Thank you both."

He glanced back at Han and Leia, before rushing into the shadows of the alleyway and down another street, heading towards the hangar that he hoped was in that direction.

Staring after him, Ruwee's gaze fell, and whispered.

"Your welcome, our grandson."

Ooo

The fleet arrived over Naboo, slowing their entrance so that the troops on board could recover effectively without a case of hyperspace sickness in any of them. Spreading into a stronger formation, the cruisers slowly approached Naboo without hesitation, the Admirals on board warning all ships to be aware for any cruisers that would appear from behind the planet.

Wedge stared out from the pit of his fighter, before issuing an order for each of the other X-Wings and Y-Wings to activate their firing mechanisms for the battle ahead, hearing the gears of his fighter's wings activate and open them up, the torpedoes and lasers activated and ready to be fired; he could tell from the many missions he had already done that this was going to be a battle that they would lose many at.

His eyes peered towards Naboo, and he spotted it; coming from behind the planet was a large grey mass, not yet a full circle, followed by a whole fleet of Imperial Star Destroyers, which were heading in their general direction.

"_Here we go boys,"_ Porkins sounded over the intercom. "_Let's show them what we can do!"_

"Get ready to break formation," Wedge ordered. "This is gonna be a blood-bath, guys and girls; be ready for this!"

"_Wedge, do you know if we're getting reinforcements or are we on our own?"_

Wedge held back his answer; he wasn't sure if they were getting reinforcements or not, and he didn't want to heighten or diminish the hopes of the squadrons just in case the battle went badly as a result of his poor action. Just because the Empire had more specialised weapons than them just now, didn't mean they won in speed, bravery and endurance; the Rebels wouldn't give up until they were sure that victory was not possible for them.

"Listen, guys," Wedge answered. "I don't know what's going to happen, I don't know if anyone is coming, but what is important is the here and now; we gotta take down the Empire here, and any super-weapons they have. Those boys down on Naboo are counting on us, and we need to provide as much support as possible."

"_Roger that, Wedge,"_ Hobbie sounded. "_Ready for some hunting, guys?"_

_"You got that right!"_ Wes replied. "_Let's show these goons what we got!"_

Wedge grinned, and looked up, leading the squadrons towards the Imperials, seeing the mass of TIE fighters already heading in their direction.

"First catch of the day, Admiral!" He called down the intercom to Ackbar. "You ready?"

"_Ready as can be," _Ackbar sounded. "_General Swann has issued a command for us to engage; take out those fighters and Star Destroyers. Gold group, your mission is to take out that battle station being constructed, understood?"_

_"Yes, Admiral,"_ Came a reply, and Wedge saw a pack of the squadrons peel off, heading downwards while the X-Wings accelerated, his thumb hesitating over the button to fire his first few lasers into the TIE fighters.

"Come on, guys," He muttered. "Don't let me down on that planet; come on, Luke!"

He swerved as the first few TIE fighters began their assault, lasers soaring into view, and explosions emitting from both sides as opposing fleets opened fire on the other.

Ooo

Luke paused outside the hangar, and glanced around, seeing a group of Nubians rushing towards him, grasping his light-sabre ready in case they were a threat towards him. Seeing that they wore pilot uniforms, he nodded, grateful of the help even before they asked, and rushed into the entrance of the hangar-building, running down the empty corridor with the men behind him and towards where the Nubian fighters stood in their slots, gleaming yellow.

He glanced around at them, and called. "Get to your ships! We're gonna help the gungans first, and then head for space, help the rebel fleet!"

They nodded and ran towards the fighters, whilst a pair peeled off towards the control panel, flicking switches and clicking buttons, activating the machinery that held the fighters towards the rafters. Instantly, the fighters began descending, the pilots jumping into them and activating the engines, little astro-droids joining them in the slots before steering them towards the hangar doors.

Luke rushed towards one near the back, ducking as a Nubian fighter passed overhead, and clambered in, pulling on the helmet and fastening it tight under his chin, activating the hatch over his head and pulling it down over him, sealing him in securely. Activating the engines and sparking them into life, he followed the group of fighters as they made towards the hangar doors, which began to open for them.

_Here we go!_

Luke watched them take off- one after the other- and hit the accelerator, speeding after the one in front and jerked the steering handles, taking the fighter upwards and into the sky, following the others that were already there. He twirled the fighter, and turned, leading the squadron over Theed, where smoke had begun to engulf the sky.

"_Looks pretty messy down there, kid,"_ A voice sounded over the intercom. "_You sure they'd be fine?"_

_"_Yeah, we've got Jedi down there," Luke replied. "Now, form up; we're going to the plains. The gungans need our help out there."

"_You got it,"_ A new voice sounded. "_What's your name, commander?"_

_"_Skywalker," Luke replied. "Luke Skywalker."

There were gasps over the intercom, and Luke knew that they recognised his last name; after all, how many Skywalkers were there out in the Galaxy? But that didn't matter right now. What mattered were the gungans, and if he didn't get there in time, they would be dead within mere minutes; once their shields have went down, that was it, and nothing they had would defend them against the iron fist of the Empire.

They left Theed, and Luke could see the battle in the distance, flicking some switches and activating the torpedoes that the fighter had stored in its belly, gritting his teeth. He gave the order for the others to do the same, and he sensed them forming a line around him, ready to deploy one after the other. Once he saw the first Walker, that was it for Luke.

He fired, watching the torpedoes soar down towards them and blast the back of one Walker, the machine falling over onto another, collapsing and bursting into flames. He was followed by the others doing the same, the Imperials realising that the Naboo have turned on them and running, the tanks trying to turn their guns upwards towards the sky, only to realise that they couldn't; they were sitting ducks now, and it would only be a matter of time before they were destroyed.

Luke heard the cheers of the gungans through the Force, and smiled, circling once before leading the fighters towards the sky, which was ignited in colours of red, orange and white; the fleet had already arrived.

He accelerated to break through the atmosphere and into space, eyes widening when he saw the fire fight between the Rebel cruisers and the Empire, before hearing a cracking noise over the intercom.

"_Nice of you to join us, Luke!"_

"Nice to see you too, Wedge!" Luke replied. "Got some of the big guns here, ready to use."

"_Good!"_ Wedge answered. "_We're getting smoked here!"_

Luke winced when he saw a Rebel cruiser begin to fall, on fire, from an Imperial Star Destroyer that had passed it, and barked an order to a squadron behind him, turning his fighter towards the nearest one and ordering them to target the shield generator, and unload any remaining torpedoes into the bridge.

Well, they took down a Rebel cruiser- time to even the playing field!

Luke spun his fighter as two TIEs engaged him, darting off and down between two Imperial cruisers, hearing an explosion as his plan worked and a Star Destroyer sliced through the air and struck another, knocking each other out of orbit. Luke accelerated and winced when he heard an alarm sound as a laser struck the underside of his fighter, a warning crossing the screen.

The torpedo compartment was damaged, and if he didn't get out soon, the fighter would blow to pieces.

Turning his attention towards the odd, grey shape before him, Luke accelerated, feeling the Force guide him towards it; if his hunch was right, the Masters were there, imprisoned, and the Emperor was watching everything that was going on.

And his Father too.

Luke pushed the fighter, smoke starting to billow from underneath and fires beginning to appear on the left wing, but kept going, holding his breath as he soared towards the side of the station that was not finished, knowing that there would be a shield to protect the workers from space, and keep them oxygenated and warm, pushing his ship to the limits. When he saw a turret turn towards him, he blasted it with the lasers, before flicking the fighter on auto-pilot, grabbing his light-sabre and cloak, throwing the helmet to his feet. He swung his cloak on and pulled the hood up, keeping his light-sabre in hand, before activating the hatch once inside the shield.

And jumped.

He fell straight down towards the open area before him- revealing corridors- and pushed his hands out, blasting some metal out the way and causing it to fall after him, flipping and landing through the gap and onto the floor of the corridor he aimed for, hearing the metal land above him and close the gap.

Hearing clicks of rifles around him, Luke kept down, head bowed and the hood over his head, before standing up; he could sense at least eight around him. One well placed Force grip and choke would be enough to kill them outright.

"Who are you?" One trooper demanded. "And why are you- Aah!"

Luke held both hands out, seizing them by the throat in the Force, and with one snap of each neck, killed them, before pushing them against the wall, and running, his light-sabre in hand and ready; now it was time to find the Masters, and once that was done, rescue his Father from both the Emperor.

And himself.

Ooo

Leia was tiring, and she could sense that the other Jedi apprentices were faltering too; the Stormtroopers seemed to be never ending, coming from all over Theed and the nearby cities to aid their comrades in the assault against the Rebels and the Nubian uprising. Feeling her arms ache, Leia darted back behind the wall she and a few others were pinned behind, and took a breather, glancing around to see Tionne jumped to her side, sitting with her.

"We're too over-run," Leia panted. "There's no way we can push these troopers back, not without support."

"I know," Tionne winced as an explosion sounded near to their position. "But without air-support, we can't force them back; Luke has obviously taken our support to the space-battle."

"And how is that going?" Leia asked.

"Better than us down here."

Leia sighed and glanced around to only pull her head back when a laser narrowly missed her face; there had to be some way of evening the playing field, and to stop the endless tide of troopers. With herself exhausted, and the other Jedi apprentices tired and unable to keep going, the chances of them winning now was slipping out of their fingers.

Sensing Revan approaching, Leia glanced to her right as Revan ducked low behind a wall with a couple of Nubian troops, looking at her. Compared to her, he was a mess; his ginger hair was tangled and hard with blood, and he had a few gashes on his face that leaked blood over his clothing. If Obi-Wan and Sara saw their son now, they would go crazy as a result!

"Any ideas?" Revan called.

Leia shook her head, and rested it back, trying to think on what could be done; so far, her mind was drawing up blanks.

She glanced at Tionne, and nodded, grasping her light-sabre and igniting it, ready to enter the battle without a care that she was exhausted, hearing Tionne and Revan do the same. Taking a deep breath, Leia prepared herself to emerge, when she heard it.

Horns... And not just any; they were the gungan's War horns.

Leia glanced around to see the Stormtroopers cry and rush for cover, a tank at the other end of the street, steered by a gungan that appeared to be having too much fun for comfort with the machine, before she grinned and nodded at the other two Jedi and rushed out from the cover, leading them and their troops forwards and attacking the remaining Stormtroopers. The tank wasn't the only gungan aid; from the streets that led to the countryside, came mounted reinforcements, the gungans carrying rifles of the dead Stormtroopers from the land battle outside Theed, two on each stead. One was steering the beast, and the other was firing, and occasionally reached down towards the Jedi, Revan clambering on one and Tionne another, using the advantage of height to slash at any Stormtrooper that tried to attack them.

Leia was so caught up that she cried out when a blaster shot struck her arm, staggering back and holding it tight, turning to face the Stormtrooper that was responsible, falling to her knees. He aimed his rifle straight for her forehead, intending on ending her life quickly, when he was grabbed from behind by Chewbacca, soon thrown to the side and crashing to the ground like a rag doll.

Han ran forwards, and gently pulled Leia towards the wall, concern on his features.

"Princess?" He whispered.

Leia shook her head. "It's not bad; I've had and seen worse than this."

Han wasn't convinced; he began checking the wound, making sure it wasn't too deep or infected, gently holding her arm and surveying the wound. Leia looked away, watching smoke billow down the street and towards where the gungans had entered the City, their beasts roaring and taking their riders along with their weapons deeper into the City centre.

Heaving herself up, Leia grasped her light-sabre and looked at Han, before whispering. "We got to get to the City centre."

"You sure, Princess?" Han replied. "That's where the main fighting is located; we get caught in that, we could get pelted by blaster bolts!"

"Then we make sure that we don't get pelted by blaster bolts," Leia retorted. "My brother is handling the release of the Jedi Masters, and the Rebel fleet are holding up there; we gotta free the surface of the Imperials, before we can go and help the Rebels. Luke would have seen to that as well, making sure that some Nubian pilots are up there."

"Listen, I don't deny that the kid has talent, but what can that one teen do?" Han asked.

"Don't doubt us," Leia replied, as they ran towards the main square. "Because that's the biggest mistake that these Imperials have done; they have doubted us teens being capable of making a difference, but here we are, forcing them back."

Han snorted, rushing down the street and leaving Leia to catch up, her shorter legs struggling to keep up with the taller man, whilst her crimson light-sabre was raised and at the ready, when she sensed a dark shroud approaching her from behind, and ducked a light-sabre as it was aimed for her head. Turning around, Leia swiped her blade at Jerec as he lunged for her from an alleyway, before blocking his blow and ducking low, trying to keep back.

Jerec seemed to realise that she lacked the skill level of her age-mates, and began hammering at her defences, easily pushing the princess back and against the wall, twirling her light-sabre and smacking it aside, watching it extinguish as it clattered amongst the rubble. Breathing heavily, with the point of Jerec's light-sabre at her throat, Leia stared up into what remained of the Inquisitor's eyes, fear all that appeared on her features.

Jerec grinned, and brought his blade around, ready to decapitate her, triumph on his features; he knew that he was about to kill not just the Princess of Alderaan, but a Rebel Leader, and the sister of Luke Skywalker...

His blow didn't strike; a blaster shot struck his hand, and the light-sabre went flying off. Jerec turned around to see Han with his blaster raised and pointing straight at him, walking towards the Inquisitor with anger on his features, refusing to back down even though the Inquisitor was using the Force to parry the blaster shots away, before grasping Han's throat through the Force, making him gag, and claw at it as a result.

Leia reached out with the Force, summoning her light-sabre back to her hand, fingering the ignition switch and aiming for Jerec's heart in his back. She tried to focus, trying to gather the strength inside her- the blood she shared with her Father- and ignited her weapon, the crimson blade illuminating her face as she lunged for Jerec from behind.

Her blade struck true, and she fell against the Inquisitor, landing on his back and pushing through and sinking into the ground, pinning him. She panted, trying to get herself to calm down, when she felt gentle hands take her arms and gently pulled her off, balancing her against his chest.

"Han..." Leia whispered.

"It's alright, Leia," Han whispered back. "Come on, Princess; we're getting you some help. Chewie and I will go on ahead, and help the Naboo and gungans; you head towards the medical base we got set up."

Leia nodded, stumbling down the streets and towards where the make-shift medical base was located near the outskirts of the City.

_Luke, I hope you're alright,_ She thought to herself. _I pray to the Force that you'll be alright._


	94. Part VI, Chapter 14

_THE RISING  
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Each step was painful to him. Each movement of his body caused an ache to rise inside him, but no matter what, Obi-Wan knew that he had to remain strong and mask his weakness; the Emperor could take advantage of it and utilise his emotions for the Dark Side.

He sighed, and looked down at the binders around his wrists, sealed so tightly that he could feel his skin protest at the rubbing the metal did on him. It seemed as though the Sith were taking no chances with the Jedi Master, and were desperate to keep him subdued at all costs. Deep down, Obi-Wan knew what was about to happen, and that made him panic; was this it? Was this his death?

The elevator opened, and Obi-Wan raised his head and stared at Vader as he stood there in the lift, awaiting him. The gloves tightened and he placed his hands on his hips, the respirator breaking the silence that was now descending between the small group before Vader finally decided to break it.

"Enter; I am to take you to the Emperor."

Obi-Wan pulled his arms out from the Stormtroopers and walked inside the lift, deciding it best to submit rather than fight to break free. There was no point, with many Stormtroopers between him and the hangar, but also because of the other Masters; abandoning them would throw everything that he was out the window, and disgrace everything he had done. Judging by the explosions that he had heard earlier, there was a space battle, and the vibrations that they- he and the Masters- had felt too, there were Jedi nearby.

The lift door closed, and Obi-Wan was locked inside with the monster. He kept his gaze forwards, trying to keep it away from Vader, in case he provoked a response that could be resolved by Vader snapping his neck in half, or appearing before the Emperor with a black eye. He turned his face away, staring at the wall of the elevator beside him instead of the Dark Knight, when Vader finally broke the silence.

"I would have kept him safe. Kept him secure, and you denied me that."

Obi-Wan kept his gaze away, but his blood turned into ice, as Vader continued.

"I am now fully converted to the Dark Side, a creature of shadows. Because of _you_, my son is dead, and now there is nothing left for me to resist against Palpatine for; I am now his servant."

"That's not true," Obi-Wan replied, glancing at the Sith Lord; he could sense the dark aura emitting from Vader, banishing everything that was once good in him. Anakin Skywalker was truly dead, and Vader had taken his place. "It wasn't me, Vader. It was Palpatine; he killed Luke, not me."

"My Master would prefer for him to be alive..."

"Your _Master_," Obi-Wan spat the last word. "Would not care about anyone or anything, as long as he gets what he wants; Luke and Padme would not want you to go further down this path."

Obi-Wan turned to him, facing Vader, and seeing the slight lowering of the helmet; his words were having an impact on Vader already. Was his faith shaken by his Sith Master already? Or was this a false surrender to make Obi-Wan divulge something important and key?

"Vader, this isn't you; this is a shell of the man you once were. The Anakin I knew would fight against Palpatine, no matter what, and die trying; what has happened to that boy? The boy that tinkered on machinery, played pranks and wished to fight off slavery and injust? He's gone now; that boy is dead the moment you raised your blade to kill your first Jedi, no, in fact he died the moment you helped Palpatine and knelt before him."

Vader's head sank lower, and Obi-Wan thought he heard a strangled sob come from inside, and his heart broke. Maybe he should just tell him, that when on Naboo, he had sensed something; that he had sensed a small blip of Luke's life-force; maybe that would get Vader to fight again.

"Vader," Obi-Wan started, refraining from placing a hand on his shoulder. "There is something you must know; back on Naboo, I sensed something after the destruction of the factory. There was a blip in the Force, small, but there."

"What are you saying?" Vader answered.

"I... I don't think Luke is dead, Vader."

He felt it, a spark of hope inside Vader, and inside that blackened heart... Obi-Wan felt a shimmer of light, a glimmer of Anakin Skywalker breaking through. It overwhelmed him for a moment, and he thought for a moment that the man inside the suit was _not_ Darth Vader, but Anakin was starting to return!

Then, he was reeling back, a fist connected with his stomach, and he groaned as he struck the wall; the lift had arrived, and the doors were open, a Red guard standing before him being the source of his attack. He winced and let the Red guard push him out, and into the massive throne room that housed the most dangerous man in the Galaxy.

He looked back at Vader, seeing that his head was still bowed, and sent to him.

_It's not too late, Vader! THINK! If Palpatine gets wind of Luke's survival, he WILL KILL HIM!_

Obi-Wan pulled his arms free, and walked up the steps towards the throne- turned away from him- and the Red guards moved towards the windows on either side of the seat. Standing there, Obi-Wan waited, staring at the throne as silence fell around them all.

"Kneel," Palpatine's voice suddenly sounded from the throne, which revolved around to face him. "Jedi filth."

Obi-Wan felt the Force work on his knees, and they buckled, making him fall to the ground as a result, hands splayed on the floor to keep him from bashing his face against it. He heard the respirator sound behind him, getting closer and closer, fear now rising; Vader had no intention of redeeming now. If he did, Vader would have done something earlier in the elevator, or there would be the _snap-hiss_ of a light-sabre, and the screams of the Red guards as they died...

"Lord Vader," Palpatine sounded. "It is time; exact your revenge upon him. Kill Obi-Wan Kenobi, and prove your loyalty to me."

Obi-Wan was aware of Vader standing behind him, and held his breath, another silence descending upon them, broken only by the respirator. He glanced up towards the Emperor, and gave a sneer, his eyes spotting a light-sabre on the Emperor's belt; he needed his timing to be just right...

The ignition of the light-sabre behind him was all he needed.

Obi-Wan spun and kicked off, raising his bound wrists and letting the point of the light-sabre slice through, before aiming a well-placed Force push against Vader's chest and causing him to stumble, before turning and summoning Palpatine's light-sabre to his hand, bringing the crimson blade crashing upon Vader's own.

Ooo

Luke glanced around the corner, hearing the sound of thunderous footsteps, and explosions as the battle outside began to escalate. The Rebel Fleet must be doing their worst to the Empire, despite being severely outnumbered and outgunned; as long as the main weapon was not operational, the Rebels had the chance. The canon that Luke was attacked with was the cause of his now missing right hand and the destruction of his light-sabre, and if something like that could cause that much damage, he dread to think what the super canons of the station could do themselves.

Seizing his chance to run when smoke billowed through the corridor from an explosion just down the hall, Luke ran to a lift and activated the switch, hearing it respond that it was out of service. Gritting his teeth, Luke darted between it and the wall as a few pilots ran past, heading towards the hangar, and closed his eyes, focusing on the Masters and trying to find the largest concentration of Force energy.

He found two sources; one a few levels below him and the other at the top of a spire, well above him.

Luke gritted his teeth and darted back out, tearing the lift's control panel off and began to tinker with the wires, over-riding the system to take him down towards the detention centre. Hearing a beeping sound, Luke smirked in triumph before activating the door and swung in, sorting his cloak and keeping his hood up, closing the door and selecting the detention level. He took his light-sabre, and held it in his hand, waiting patiently for the lift to reach the destination, and dulled his nerves- his pain receptors- with the Force; there would be time to heal and cry in pain later, once the Jedi Masters have been rescued. But the separation of the sources worried him; his Master was with the one highest up, but not with the others...

Luke heard the lift beep, and the door slid open, admitting him into the detention centre, where a group of black clothed men sat at control panels, and Stormtroopers lined the corridor that led down towards the cells. Striding forwards, Luke entered into the chamber and stepped down the small steps, just as one officer stood.

"Who are you, and what are you doing down here?" He demanded.

Luke didn't respond, except for one movement of his left hand, closing the emergency doors to his left and right, causing the officers to stand up and grab their pistols, but it was too late. Against a Jedi, these officers and the Stormtroopers stood no chance, and when Luke snapped his light-sabre into life, he slashed the officer nearest him, and began parrying blaster shots back, striding towards them before twirling his blade and parrying a shot back as an officer tried to get around him to pin him between the guns and the control panel. Luke twirled his light-sabre in the quick strokes of Soresu, before ducking low and using a Repulse, blasting the control panels back into the officers and hitting the wall, breaking their necks.

Turning to the Stormtroopers, Luke leapt over the carnage and slashed at the Troopers in the corridor, his emerald light-sabre taking the arms and legs of the troopers, before killing them as he moved towards the source. Breathing heavily as he finished the last trooper, Luke turned towards the door at the end of the corridor, where he sensed the largest concentration coming from, and ran towards it. He traced his hand over the cell door, and began to swirl his blade and sank it into the lock of the door, burning it clean off before kicking the door open on the hinges.

The inhabitants looked up, and he gasped. "Masters!"

Kento stood up, his eyes wide as the other Jedi with him stood, and said. "Skywalker?!"

"Listen, I don't have time," Luke replied as they stood before him. "Get to the hangar and get out of here; the fleet has arrived and the battle in space is getting worse by the second."

"What about you?" Rahm asked.

"I'm going after my Master."

Their eyes widened, and instantly, Ferus stepped forwards. "You can't, Luke! The Emperor and Vader are up there, and if you-"

"I know about Vader," Luke said quietly. "I know he's my Father, but I won't accept _him;_ I accept that he was once Anakin Skywalker, my Father, and Darth Vader is just some evil, twisted part of him that has taken over. I got to try and get my Father to redeem himself in some way."

"Luke, one day of goodness will not spare a man from a life-time of condemnation," Kento argued. "He has done wicked things, evil and twisted, and there is nothing you can do to change him!"

"I have to try, or die in the attempt."

The Masters looked at one another, and sighed in unsion.

"We can't force you to change your mind," Brood whispered. "But if this is to be your wish, then may the Force be with you, young Skywalker. You are going to need it."

"Thank you, Masters," Luke stepped aside for them to pass. "The lift is operational; I've hotwired it, and I'll give you the code to take you back up into the station's belly. Everyone is distracted by the space battle, but that doesn't mean that it's any safer; be careful."

"Good luck, Luke," Rahm nodded, gratitude in his eyes. "We'll tell Sara and Revan when we land on Naboo about what has happened; I hope you succeed."

_So do I, _Luke told himself, letting the Masters pass by him before rushing towards the stairs at the opposite end. If he could just get to the main lifts that would head up towards the spire, then he could save Obi-Wan and redeem his Father at once; he just hoped he wasn't too late.

Pushing through the crowd of Stormtroopers and officers that ran past him, Luke coughed as smoke began to clot his throat and his chest, pushing towards the direction that the Imperials were desperate to escape from; it had to be the right way. Shoving some off their feet with a Force blast, Luke entered into the large area where a line of lifts stood before him at the opposite wall, each with a highlighted section of the Death Star.

The middle one was what he needed, but there was someone standing there, blocking his view.

They were completely clothed in black robes and cloak, the eyes all that Luke could see, a yellowish-green. A lock of auburn hair had escaped the wraps around their head, curled over the right eye, and when they spoke, he recognised the voice, sending shivers up his spine.

"You're not getting to your Master."

"Move aside, Lumiya," Luke ordered, stepping forwards. "I don't want to hurt you anymore than I already have."

"What chance do you have against me, Skywalker?" Lumiya replied, and she raised her left hand, grabbing her own clothing. "I am more powerful, much more than you can be capable of."

"Would you like to test that theory?" Luke snapped his light-sabre into life. He knew now that the dual action of the whip was what cost him last time, and he had to be quick, nimble, in order to keep the energy strands and the metal strands away. The whip can be lengthened, but as long as he used different methods and combinations of the Force and whatever was around him, Luke had a chance!

Lumiya swept her cloak aside, revealing a deep midnight suit underneath, patterned with silver, and a life-support at the front. Her boots were metal, black in colour, and her claw flexed at her side. The shawl remained, and her red hair fell in a tangled mess around her features, as she grasped her light-whip and with one click of the button, activated it. With one long stroke of her arm, she flared the whip straight at Luke, who ducked the tendrils and slashed with his emerald blade, cutting the metal ones closest to him.

Her cry of fury at him destroying her whip rang in his ears, but Luke didn't stop; as she pulled her arm back for another strike, Luke released a well-placed Force blast against her torso, sending her smacking into the door of the lift behind her, before clenching tight, snapping her life-support wires and making her scramble for something, anything, to help. Luke took advantage of her distraction, and tackled the cyborg-woman, wincing at his shoulder, and grabbed a fistful of auburn hair, shielding his neck as she tried to scratch with her claw...

With a sickening crack, Luke rammed her head against the wall, dislocating her metal jaw and knocking her clean out in the process; it seemed one part of her was not cybernetic enough to spare her from her enemy's assault. Taking a steady breath, Luke dragged Lumiya over towards the wall and slumped her against it, throwing her light-whip at her feet before rushing towards the lift door, palming it open and darting in.

He punched the button, and waited, praying to the Force that his Master was alright.

Ooo

The duel was taking too long for Obi-Wan, his body too exhausted and strained for him to keep going for much longer. Vader had taken absolute advantage of his enemy's weak form, and was going all out, pushing Obi-Wan back until he was kicked in the stomach and fell, the light-sabre smashing against the floor and his arm cracking at the same time. The Emperor's laugh was distant in his ears, even though the monster was in the same room as he was.

Obi-Wan stared around for something, anything, he could use or go for to escape, and spotted a shaft nearby that went underneath the platform, slightly illuminated by the controls that surrounded the support. Taking his chance, he darted for it.

He was in agony, staggering through the shaft with a broken arm, and a shattered sabre latched onto his belt. The Sith was closing in, his longer legs and resistance to pain aiding him in his Hunt.

Obi-Wan staggered further down the shaft, coming to the main centre, trying to keep his shields up to stop him finding the location of the Rebellion and...

_Sara..._

His mind drifted to her, and the surprise that he would never see her again...

_This is my fault..._

"I can hear your thoughts, my Old Master," The booming voice sounded through the shaft. "Smell your fear, sense your pain. Let me take it away, let me take your life."

Obi-Wan collapsed in the corner, too tired to answer with any witty comments, or fight back. As long as the others were safe and away, that's all that mattered.

His Death would be a blessing, a freedom from all the pain he would soon cause because of his weakness to kill Vader when he had the chance...

Then, he emerged, at first a small square of glowing lights, and now a large shadowy figure, that seemed to expand the darkness around him through the room, his horrible mechanic breathing sounding through the room, and the clanking of his metal boots as he slowly stalked his prey, leaning tired against the wall.

"You should not have come back Obi-Wan."

He raised his head, panting heavily, staring at the menacing figure as he appeared over the control panel, still not noticing the brown clothed Jedi, and sitting injured in the corner, breathing heavily.

Maybe he could not hear him.

Finally, the Sith turned, and spotted him. "There you are."

Obi-Wan stared up at him, and then gasped, as the Force came around his neck, Vader slowly lifting him into the air as he choked him, bringing him close to him, so that their faces were a foot away. "I have waited for this." Vader said, and Obi-Wan could hear the jest, the thirst for his blood in his voice. "I have _dreamed_ of this moment, to take revenge on what you had done to me."

There was a hiss as he ignited his sabre, and slowly, Obi-Wan realised that this was it.

_It's over..._

He closed his eyes, bracing himself for the snap, only to feel himself get thrown out and across the floor, rolling to a stop and bracing himself as Vader re-emerged, crimson blade ignited and the Emperor standing at the top of the stairs, his laughter still vibrating around the room.

"Good! Good! Now, end it, Vader!"

Obi-Wan looked up at him, before taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, waiting for the final stroke. The Force was uniting with him, waiting for the exact moment to take him, make him join with it and become one...

"Stop!"

Obi-Wan's eyes snapped open, and he gasped, looking around at the elevator, just as Vader looked around himself and froze.

Standing there, light-sabre in hand, and a look of horror on his face, was Luke.


	95. Part VI, Chapter 15

_REDEMPTION  
><em>

The view of Vader standing over his Master, light-sabre drawn and ready to kill his Master was just like a bad dream to Luke. His Father was standing there before him, alive, but there was no feelings of happiness, delight over the fact he had a living parent. There was anger though, and shock at the image of his Father locked into the suit of nightmare, with the Emperor standing at the top of the stairs with his gnarled hands clasped together.

Vader turned towards him, and stepped forwards, his light-sabre lowered towards the ground and a hand raised towards Luke. The boy took a step back, his own light-sabre point down at the ground in the same pose, in a submissive position, albeit ready to fight when the Sith would launch himself at him.

"Luke," Vader said. "Son, it's me. Your Father."

"No," Luke replied, shaking his head. "My Father is Anakin Skywalker, and he's _dead_; you killed him and took over! My Father is Anakin Skywalker, not Darth Vader!"

"Son..." Vader's hand fell to his side and became clenched, his blank eyes staring straight into Luke's own. "Please, don't do this. Join me, and the Emperor, and we can rule this Galaxy together!"

"No!" Luke yelled at him. "I'll _never_ join you! Now, let my Master go!"

"This man... This _Jedi,_" Vader threw a glare at Obi-Wan, as the Jedi managed to get onto his side, broken arm over his chest. "Lied about me! Told you I was _dead_, and whether you like it or not, I am your Father!"

"He's been more of a Father to me than you ever were!" Luke yelled. "You killed my mother!"

Vader was frozen, staring at Luke with horror, yet realisation to his son's statement over Padme's death. Did his son believe that he, Vader, killed Padme Amidala? Why would he do that, kill the woman he loved?

_But you did, didn't you?_ A voice sounded. _You killed Padme. Our wife._

"Very well," Vader said lowly. "If you won't join me willingly, then I'll destroy you and your pathetic excuse for a Master!"

He made to turn around, raising his light-sabre once again to strike Obi-Wan down, when Luke's light-sabre snapped into life. Vader was suddenly aware of Luke running towards him, and the unusual hum of the blade coming from behind him, and turned around, fear gripping his heart when he saw Luke kick off and brought his light-sabre around in an aerial strike.

The clash of the light-sabres made a large flash of light appear from where they had struck, before Luke spun the light-sabre blades and ducked low to dodge Vader's high-strike no doubt so use to attacking enemies that were taller than Luke's average build. Turning and grabbing Luke's 'sabre wrist with his free hand, Vader tried to snap it, only to find that it was near impossible.

Luke rammed a Force blast against Vader's chest, watching the Sith get thrown back against the stairs and break them, leaping forwards and flipping over. He stood over his Master, light-sabre held back, glaring at Vader as he stood protectively over Obi-Wan; there was a threat in his eyes, as though daring both Vader and the Emperor to come any closer. In response, Palpatine walked down the steps, towards Vader, and levitated down beside him as the Sith Lord got up.

Now, fear was all Luke felt, as a light-sabre slipped into Palpatine's hand and ignited, alongside Vader's own. Shaking above Obi-Wan, Luke twirled his light-sabre into a defensive pose, and held it with two hands before him, staring at the Emperor and Vader as they stalked towards him.

"Luke..." Obi-Wan's weak voice sounded. "Let me up."

Luke swallowed, before whispering. "Master... No, you're too weak!"

"Just, move."

Luke stepped away, and Obi-Wan pushed himself up, standing beside Luke and placing an arm before his apprentice, keeping him behind him in protection. In unison, the Sith laughed, and continued prowling towards them, as though it was nothing more than a pillow standing between them and Luke Skywalker.

Obi-Wan readied himself to use the Force to his defence. Aside from his light-sabre combat, if he struggled, he could use the Force to his advantage, but only if he had enough strength inside him to do so- and Luke can sense his Master's lack of strength.

"Now, we will destroy you two, and then kill every Jedi on that stinking planet!" Palpatine declared. "Come, Jedi... Will you dance with us Sith?"

He lunged, and Vader followed.

Obi-Wan acted, pushing Luke to the side and jumping away to evade the two crimson light-sabres as they came down, before Papatine turned towards the Jedi Master and Vader towards Luke once again. Luke twirled his blade behind his back and parried as the Sith back-stroked towards him, trying to catch Luke on a weakpoint only to fail, before the Padawan twirled the blades over his head and leapt backwards, flipping behind a control panel before leaping up onto the gangway above their heads.

An explosion sounded, and Luke risked a glance towards his Master and Palpatine; Obi-Wan was using the Force to compensate for his lack of a light-sabre, and had sent a powerful Force blast straight at Palpatine, only to miss when he ducked and strike the wall, shattering it and the metal falling into the abyss of the reactors nearby. Lightning soared from Palpatine's hands and the Jedi leapt to the side and rolled behind a column in protection, before Luke could sense Vader to his right.

Spinning around, Luke moved into his Djem So stance, copied by Vader, and launched the attack first, slamming his blade against Vader's own, before realising his mistake; Vader was an expert on Djem So, and despite Luke's strong stance and attacks, Vader was too experienced in that style of fighting for him to get a good strike. Switching onto Soresu instead, Luke parried a blow, pushed the blades to one side, before kicking out and flipping back down the gangway, Vader stepping backwards.

He raised his left hand, and sent a Force blast straight for Luke, who ducked and heard it shatter the supports behind him. The area of the gangway that Luke stood on fell, and he snapped his light-sabre off, falling and rolling out the way as Vader leapt after him and sunk his blade into the ground where Luke had laid.

Kicking at Vader's undefended side, Luke heard the Sith roar in rage, before turning and swiping high at Luke, miss, and try to grab his son with his free hand. Luke pushed back onto one hand and flipped a few metres away, before turning and rushing to his Master's aid when Obi-Wan shouted in outrage as he struggled to land a hit on Palpatine from behind the column; the Sith had not let up on the lightning, and was stalking towards Obi-Wan's location.

"Master!" Luke yelled, and threw his light-sabre straight towards Obi-Wan.

The Jedi Master leapt out and grabbed the weapon with his uninjured hand, flipped and brought it around as Palpatine lunged after the Jedi Master, parrying his blow and twirling it to open a gap and kick Palpatine in the stomach back against the column.

Obi-Wan backed off towards Luke, standing with him as they stared at the two Sith before them as they slowly prowled around, looking at the two Jedi before them.

This was it; the next few moments would decide their fate- and the fate of the Force.

Ooo

The space battle was not boding well for the Rebels; with each passing moment, the Empire was striking back with an iron fist, and the Rebel Alliance was outnumbered now ten to one. Their only hope now was for the main flagship of the Empire was to be destroyed, and cause the Admirals to fall into argument and lose confidence in themselves. The only way for them to get to the Death Star was to remove the massive super Star Destroyer before them, commanded by Thrawn himself.

Now it was time for the Jedi to enter into the space battle.

Bultar Swann ran to her fighter and jumped in, closing the hatch above her and accelerating out once her Droid beeped the ready, leading a squad of Y-Wings behind her and towards the battle. She had ever squadron leader on the channel, giving her updates over the battle, and telling her which ship was giving them the most problem.

Bultar gritted her teeth, and spun her fighter as TIEs circled around and went straight towards them, separating her Y-Wings and increasing their speed to get away in case the fighters locked onto them and took them as their next target. Steering towards the large vessel, Bultar unlocked the torpedoes, and barked down her intercom.

"Split! One group destroy the shield generator, and the other follow me! Yellow one, six, seven and ten, can you handle that generator?"

"_Can do, General!"_ The answer sounded.

She heard the ships pass over, and she pulled her fighter around, leading the rest of the group towards them, praying that the assigned squad would complete their mission in time. An explosion brought her back to the present, and she squealed when a TIE narrowly missed her, in flames with an X-Wing following close behind it, before spinning over her and away when a couple of TIEs followed straight after, avenging the death of their comrade.

An explosion from a cruiser nearby went into her path, the Star Destroyer falling as the Rebel cruiser passed between it and another, soon bursting into flames as well from the continuous fire. Dodging a piece of metal that fell from the Destroyer, Bultar heard explosions behind her and yells over the intercom; she had lost half her group already?!

_Please, hurry boys!_

"_General Swann! We've lost six, seven and ten! My ship is too badly damaged and the torpedoes are jammed!"_

Bultar glanced over as she flew past the flagship, seeing the lone Y-Wing below her, smoke trailing behind it as the pilot struggled to control it.

"Get out of there, one! Hurry!"

_"General... If we don't get that generator down, then we can't take down the flagship, and attack the Death Star... Just get ready."_

"One, I am _ordering_ you to step down! Me and my squad can do this..."

_"NO!_" The pilot retorted. "_Just... Tell my wife I love her. Bring your ships around and go straight at the bridge with Thrawn! And tell him I'll see him in Hell."_

Bultar heard her Droid assume control, taking her ship around and away, but she couldn't help but watch as the Y-Wing below her increased in speed...

And soared straight into the dome, destroying the shield generator.

"All free fighters! Divert attacks to the super Star Destroyer! TAKE IT DOWN!" Bultar roared.

The response was phenomenal; six X-Wings joined her and the survivours of her squadron and turned with her in an arrow, before focusing into a line as they came around, heading straight towards the bridge of the super Star Destroyer. Bultar can see him now; the Chiss sitting in a seat, observing the battle, and could _hear_ him shouting orders, disbelief on his face as he realised that his shields were gone and there was nothing going to stop the Rebel assault on his ships now...

"_Fire!"_

The torpedoes and laser fire soared straight for the bridge of the Super star Destroyer, and Bultar pulled away for the fighters behind her to loose their own torpedoes, watching as they struck the supports under the main bridge and then shattering the glass, entering and slamming into the walls, explosions staring to run from the base of the bridge right up into the bridge itself. It burst into flames and the super Star Destroyer began to fall, opening a large gap straight for the Death Star.

Instantly, Ackbar's voice sounded through her intercom, and she grinned.

"_ALL FIGHTERS! LAUNCH AN ASSAULT ON THE DEATH STAR IMMEDIATELY! BRING IT DOWN!"_

"Yes, Admiral!" Bultar called, and led the fighters towards the half-moon. "Wedge, follow me! We're going to bring this down!"

Ooo

Obi-Wan stared at Palpatine and Vader, keeping them in his sights as he and Luke waited for the final assault on them. His Padawan was alright, not as injured, but Obi-Wan could feel his apprentice's underconfidence through their bond and hoped that the pair of Sith could not sense their emotions.

"We're out-matched," Obi-Wan said to Luke.

"What do we do? Run?" Luke asked.

"If we can get to the door in time," Obi-Wan placed Luke's own weapon into its owner's hand, but didn't let go just in case he needed it. "Luke... I have a plan; just go with it! NOW!"

He released the light-sabre and let Luke take control, moving straight towards his Father and slamming it against the crimson blade, whilst Obi-Wan released a Force blast straight at Palpatine, sending the Sith straight against the wall, summoning the light-sabre and striking where Palpatine was, before feeling the Sith copy his movements.

Obi-Wan slammed against the wall, and felt the darkness fall onto him, slumping against it and faltering.

Luke screamed at that, and hammered at Vader's light-sabre, his anger rising to a dangerous level as he tried to force the Sith Lord to back down so he could go and help his Master, but Palpatine was leaving the Jedi Master alone, rushing towards Luke and Vader to help his apprentice against the Jedi.

Luke was so distracted by Palpatine's re-entrance that he was starting to struggle against the two experts, falling back and soon slamming on the rails that marked the end for the platform, before the reactor. His Father was breathing heavily through the mask, as though the duels had taken their toll on his life-support, whilst Palpatine was hardly panting, regardless of his age.

"Surrender to the Dark Side," Palpatine whispered, loud enough for Luke to hear. "Turn to my side, and join your Father as my apprentice!"

Luke raised his head, slumped against the rails, his light-sabre hanging loosely in his hand. He stared at Palpatine first, before looking at Vader, who was staring back at Luke with emptiness, yet, he sensed something... Some sort of _emotion_ from the cruel Sith, as though he was unsure about something...

"Never," Luke managed to say. "I'll never join you. You've failed, your highness, for I am a Jedi. Like my Father before me."

The anger Luke sensed building from Palpatine made him shake, the Sith's mouth dropping into a sneer and the Emperor taking a step forwards.

"If this is to be so... If you will not turn, you shall be destroyed!"

Lightning soared from his hands and engulfed Luke, the boy screaming and writhing before them, grasping the rail and holding tight in case he was thrown down the reactor. Struggling, Luke raised a hand towards Vader, a plea on his face, and called in a strangled voice.

"Father... Father... PLEASE!"

Ooo

Vader watched as his son was tortured right before him by Palpatine, the lightning sparking as it coursed through Luke's body and illuminated his skeleton, smoke billowing from his clothes and skin as the lightning burned him on parts of his skin, flesh, so much that the smell of burning flesh was all that came into Vader's mask.

Luke... His son refused the offer, and now he will pay the price!

_Will you let him kill Padme's son?_

Vader blinked, and glanced at Obi-Wan as the Jedi Master raised his head, looking straight towards Vader.

_Will you let him destroy your own son, Padme's son? You have strived for so long for a family, for a chance... This is it. Prove yourself and save your son!_

Vader clenched his hands, looking at Palpatine. He still had his light-sabre in his hand... One ignition and he will kill the Emperor and save his son...

_Please, Anakin,_ A female sounded. _Please, save him!_

Memories filtered before his eyes... The happiness he had felt with Padme, his Mother, with Obi-Wan, and then the suffering he had endured at the hands of Palpatine, of this blasted Empire that he had helped form. Now, he was going to be the cause of his son's death, the son he thought was dead eighteen years ago...

_Anakin!_ Padme screamed. _ANAKIN PLEASE!_

Then it snapped; inside his heart, the darkness was gone, and the light inside him that was Anakin Skywalker emerged. He felt it engulf him; soothe his damaged body and lungs, his broken heart.

_This is my son! MY SON! And he's..._

"No..." Vader whispered, before he lunged straight for Palpatine, his light-sabre snapping into life. "NO!"

Palpatine turned, shocked, the lightning stopping as Vader's light-sabre sliced his hands clean off, before grabbing his robes. The former- Darth raised the Emperor high above his head, stepping forwards and throwing the Emperor straight down into the reactor, before falling to his knees.

The screams from Palpatine sounded, before he struck the reactor, and an explosion sounded, heat rising and lightning cracking as the Sith was destroyed. There was nothing but silence afterwards, only broken when Luke crawled towards Vader and turned him over, holding the Sith in his arms, already aware of his Master approaching them, and falling to his knees.

"Let's get him out of here," Obi-Wan whispered, taking Vader's arm and pulling it over his shoulders. "We don't have long."

"Yes... Master," Luke replied shakily. "I... I'm sorry for disobeying you..."

"Don't, Luke," Obi-Wan said gently. "Come on, let's go; I sense that the Death Star is ready to be destroyed, and we should not be on this station when it does!"

Luke nodded, and together, they hoisted Vader up and walked towards the lift, trying to move quickly as an explosion sounded from beneath their feet. Waiting with baited breath as the lift continued its descent towards the main floor, the two Jedi held Vader through the corridor and towards the hangar, officers and Stormtroopers running past as fires began to spread; Luke had noticed Lumiya was gone, but paid no attention to it, helping his Master aid Vader, moving towards the hangar and a shuttle that was still there.

Standing on the ramp that was lowered already, was Rahm, and his eyes widened when he saw the Sith that was being aided in walking by Obi-Wan and Luke, his hands becoming clenched at his side.

"Don't, Rahm!" Obi-Wan ordered. "Just get the ship started and moving, now!"

A large part of the ceiling fell, landing nearby as Luke and Obi-Wan helped Vader on board and towards the medical bay, the ramp closing behind them and the shuttle already beginning to rise into the air, turning towards the darkness of space. Luke sat at Vader's side, waiting whilst his Master rushed off towards the bridge, feeling the tremors of the station, and sensing a Jedi nearby.

A hand touched his, and he jumped, looking down at Vader as he turned his head towards Luke.

"My son..." There was grief in his voice. "I... I am so sorry... For everything!"

"Father," Luke whispered, resting a hand on his heart, leaning towards him. "It's... It's okay, I promise. We're going to save you."

"Luke..." Vader raised a hand towards his son, resting it on his cheek. "Take this mask off. I want to see you, with my own eyes."

"But... If I do! You'll die!" Luke protested, shaking his head. "No..."

"Please, son."

Luke nodded slowly, hesitating before reaching over and gently loosening the helmet, hearing the hiss as he disconnected it and rested it on the floor, before reaching over once again and gently prising the mask off. He felt tears as he saw his Father's face for the first time.

Pale blue eyes, white, scarred skin, and a straight nose, cleft chin and thin mouth. Luke could see similarities between him and his Father already, from the eyes to the nose, and the cleft chin, albeit he didn't have the same mouth as his Father.

"Dad..." Luke choked. "I'm... I'm so sorry! This is my fault... I caused your turn!"

The tears fell before he could stop them, and he rested his head against Vader- no, _Anakin's_- chest, weeping. He felt a hand touch his hair, and raised his head again, looking into Anakin's eyes, and seeing tears also.

"Dad... I have a sister," Luke sobbed. "A sister... It's Leia..."

"A... Sister?" Anakin's voice was strange compared to the mask's version; it was a struggle, and rasping and Luke knew that he was struggling to keep alive now that the mask was off. He would die if Luke didn't replace it soon. "I... I am happy."

Luke saw a pained smile, and sensed Obi-Wan behind him, and Anakin gasp. "I'm... Sorry, Obi-Wan..."

The Jedi Master approached, and placed a hand on Anakin's own. "You are already forgiven, my friend."

Anakin smiled painfully, before whispering. "Look after him, Master... Please... Make sure he... Doesn't make the same... Mistakes as I did."

"You're already a better man than you ever were," Obi-Wan clasped his hand. "You are my brother, Anakin Skywalker."

"Brother..." Anakin repeated a gentle smile on his features. "Brother... I always wanted... A brother... Thank you... Master..."

His breathing was becoming shallow, and Luke could feel the life leaving Anakin, the tears rising once again. Anakin looked up at him, and whispered.

"Look... At me... Luke Skywalker..."

Luke did, and his eyes connected with Anakin's own. For a moment, he saw not the evil Sith Lord, but a young man, handsome, with dirty blonde hair and a dazzling smile, his Father, whereas Anakin saw Padme in his son; her faith rewarded by him killing Palpatine, and ending the Empire that was raised on her day of death, feeding the lies that the Jedi had killed her. But no longer, no... He had restored Balance to the Force by saving his son.

His breathing was depleting... He could feel his heart slowing and Luke was growing dark. The boy could tell, and the tears fell again as he saw the light disappear in his Father's eyes, and felt Obi-Wan half-embrace him, tears falling himself as he watched Anakin, the gloved hand going slack on Luke's own. The eyes closed and the head rested back against the pillow, the whole body going limp.

Anakin Skywalker- former Darth Vader, Lord of the Sith- died.


	96. Part VI, Chapter 16

This is the final chapter, completely the whole part and the fic in a one. I thank everyone for their kind words, their criticisms in making the story better, and have repaid you with a sneak preview at the end of the new villains of the story. The preview is of the next Ultra Villain, that will be staying with us throughout Exiled 2: SECRETS OF THE EMPIRE- and beyond. Yes; I am writing a whole SERIES of Exiled stories, going through each major event of the Extended universe, but will end with the sixth/seventh (haven't decided yet) book. So now, as a thank you, here is the final chapter of Exiled.

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><p><em>A NEW BEGINNING<br>_

Naboo was over-run with celebration.

On the rooftops, and in the streets, there were humans and gungans around, dancing and yelling at the top of their voices, all shouting the same words over and over again- that they were free from the Empire that had imprisoned the galaxy for nearly two decades. Indeed, today was no longer christened "Empire day", but "Freedom day", as the flags of the Rebel Alliance was waved instead of the Empire's own, replacing the black coloured flags with the white coloured ones with the blue insignia on it, now a symbol that every planet, every civilisation had come to know and respect.

To hope for.

But for one individual, joining the celebrations was the last thing on his mind. For Luke Skywalker, he could never find peace in himself to enter those celebrations; he felt responsible. Responsible for everything his Father had done to help the Empire rise up and destroy the Republic, the one person that had caused so much pain and suffering for every individual, every family, in the Galaxy.

How can he celebrate that? How can he move on from something so horrific, and forget it? That was just impossible.

Luke ventured down the streets to a quieter, respectable area, and entered a stone building- a domed one to be exact. He didn't know why he was attracted to this building, but it felt safe to him, quiet, and he had a sense of familiarity, as though there was something or someone here that was beckoning him forwards, urging him closer to their side. He followed the feeling.

Luke stepped towards a new area of the building, and towards a stone casket that had a stained glass window over it, revealing the appearance of the individual that was buried inside, and stared up at it. She was beautiful, with brown hair tied back in an elegant style, with brown eyes and pale, flawless skin, wearing a purple dress and a half halo of gold tied into her hair. Luke glanced down at the casket, and blew at the dust, casting it aside, before tracing his prosthetic hand over the writing, his eyes surveying the grooved words, before reading out.

"Here lies Padme Naberrie, a loved daughter, who carries her deceased unborn child with her to the Force. May she rest in peace."

He froze; Padme? This... This was his mother! Obi-Wan had told him that his mother was buried here, that she had died and was resting forever in Thede, never to wake and to see her son standing before her. Luke knelt down, and rested his forehead against the stone, and closed his eyes, trying to stall the tears that were ready to fall at the strong, overwhelming emotions that had arisen inside him. So engulfed in his emotions that Luke failed to sense the two individuals that appeared behind him in spirit form until he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder.

He jumped, and spun around with his light-sabre in hand, before gasping when he saw the ghosts that stood before him. Luke felt his light-sabre drop from his hand to the ground, and fell to his knees, bowing his head before choking.

"Mom... Dad..."

He raised his head again, tears falling for a hundredth time that day, staring into the faces of his parents as they beamed down at him. Padme was exactly what he had just seen in the picture, but her hair was loose and curled around her shoulders in long, thick locks, her dark eyes glistening with unshed tears. She knelt down before him, and hugged Luke, whispering in comfort in his ear and stroking his hair as he sobbed, before looking up at his Father.

Anakin Skywalker was different to the one that he had seen on the shuttle. His hair was a tangled mess around his face, which mirrored Luke's own, except for the scar that was over his right eye. He raised a hand and knelt down beside Padme, engulfing his son in a hug too, stroking Luke's hair and whispering in comfort too.

"Mom... Dad... I'm so sorry..."

"_Don't be,"_ Padme whispered. "_You are our son, and you have nothing to be sorry for."_

Luke raised his head, staring into their faces with a small smile. "I just... I want to... I wish you were alive to see the celebrations; they're rejoicing, and I told them. I told them that Darth Vader killed the Emperor and turned to the light."

_"Thank you,_" Anakin said, and Luke jumped at his voice. It was also different from what he had heard; the voice was slightly deep, and had calmness, comfort, to its tone. "_Although I am sorry for having you go through all that you did because of me. If I had only realised sooner that Palpatine was a liar, a fraud, I wouldn't have done what I did."_

"Father," Luke placed a hand on his Father's ghostly shoulder. "You came back, and that's what is important."

_"It doesn't excuse me from the evil that I have done,"_ Anakin replied sadly. "_These past eighteen years... I wished for eternal damnation, not joining the Force with the others. I deserve to burn."_

"Father," Luke shook his head. "You don't deserve that. Palpatine seduced you to his side, and no-one should have to go through what he did to you; he was evil, twisted, and you suffered for it. I'm glad he's gone."

He saw the look on his Father's face, and froze, staring at him. "He... He is gone... Isn't he?"

_"Luke, listen to us carefully,"_ Pame whispered. "_Palpatine is gone, but his disciples are not; they will come after you and Obi-Wan with vengeance for what has happened on the Death Star. Please, be careful, sweetheart."_

_"There are some of his apprentices, still training to be Hands and Inquisitors that will be after you now,"_ Anakin continued. _"Lumiya has survived, you know she will, but there are... Others. And they are more powerful than you can ever imagine; you must prepare, and listen to Obi-Wan's teachings. He alone will help you be prepared for the challenges ahead."_

"I will be ready," Luke promised. "I vow to you both. But... Who else? Who are they?"

_"Luke, there were several organisations that were under Palpatine's rule,"_ Anakin explained. "_The Hands and Inquisitors are some; Mara Jade and Lumiya resemble them..."_

"Mara?!" Luke repeated in shock. The girl he had met and befriended over a month ago, when they were stuck on that planet was... A Sith? A Dark Jedi? "What... How...?"

"_Don't be afraid of her, son,"_ Anakin comforted. "_She won't be a threat to you. Not yet, anyway, for I see you two have a destiny together; she will defect. I promise you that."_

Luke wasn't aware he was blushing at that, but shook himself and continued on. "Who else, Father?"

_"Aside from the Hands and Inquisitors? There are... The Dark Side Prophets,"_ Anakin replied. "_THEY are the ones you have to be careful of from now on; they are powerful in the Dark Side, and will come after you to sort the incident that has happened. They'll make sure that there is a way for you to suffer and pay for what you have done to Palpatine."_

"They're going to have to find me first; the Rebels are moving out," Luke then frowned. "No, we're not the Rebels anymore. We're the Alliance of Free systems."

Padme smiled, before saying. "_You have your Father's confidence, and I am grateful for that. We are so proud of you, Luke, but this..." _Her expression fell. "_Is our last and only meeting with you; the next you see us... Will be when you join the Force yourself."_

Luke looked up at them, sadness on his features, and then brightened up. "Have you seen Revan, Master Kenobi's son?"

Anakin chuckled. "_During my time as Vader, yes. He's much like his Father; he'll be good for you. His destiny- and yours- and intertwined, and I have a feeling that you two will be so close that you will be inseparable. Brothers in bond and the Force."_

"I will be glad," Luke agreed. "With him at my side."

His parents smiled, before Anakin glanced upwards, and then back to Luke. "_We must depart, my son. I am sorry."_

Luke nodded, sad, but whispered. "Have you spoken to Leia?"

"_We have,"_ Padme replied. "_And we love her very much too. You have a good sister there, my son."_

Luke smiled, before embracing his parents, who hugged him back.

"_Luke, we will always be with you,"_ Padme whispered. "_Always."_

Her hand touched his heart, and she smiled. "_In here."_

Luke smiled up at her, and nodded, stepping back and staring at his parents. "I love you both."

"_We love you too, son,"_ Anakin replied, hand in Padme's. "_Always."_

In unison, they glowed white, and disappeared into small orbs, blinking out one by one and leaving Luke alone in the chamber. Turning and pressing a hand over the tomb that held his mother's body, Luke spoke a small prayer for her, and turned, walking towards the entrance and out.

There would be time to grieve later; now was the time to celebrate their victory.

And the return of the Republic, and the Jedi.

Ooo

The Darkness was hers to consume, to feed upon, but now _that_ had abandoned her.

Trailing through the dankest parts of Theed, Lumiya stumbled and fell, landing against the ground and lying there, hearing the celebrating that was crackling over her head in the form of fire-works. Before her, a flag that had broken free of its pole fluttered down and landed, making her raise her head and stare.

Anger was all that came from her, and she bore her teeth, raking her claws against the wall and causing sparks, igniting the flag in a burst of fire, quietly burning the seal of the Rebels- no, the _Alliance_ now- and turning it into ashes.

She had lost everything. _Everything,_ because of blasted Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi! She will kill them... Lumiya will _destroy_ them at the first chance she got! Lumiya will burn them to ashes, and cast them into the flames of Mustafar to make sure they got their just deserves for tarnishing the perfect Galaxy, and destroying the Empire! Oh, they would get their "reward"!

If only Lumiya was strong enough to do so now! They were both weak, but so was she, moreso than them. The only thing keeping her alive was her life-support, but the _pain_ that was assaulting her body was the result of that, and it burned her from the inside out.

The Darkness was hers to wield, to feed upon, but now that had abandoned her.

Resting her head against the ground, Lumiya closed her eyes, and began to sob. She was alone in the Galaxy, with no Sith Master to complete her training. The Inquisitors and Hands would be scattered, leaderless without the Emperor and Vader, bickering away for someone to lead them in a counter-assault.

The Empire would be in shambles.

Then, she felt it. A coldness that swept over her and the whisper of sinister intent on the wind that followed. Lumiya pushed herself up onto her hands and knees and looked around, suddenly aware of robes whispering on the ground and dark shapes moving around her, forming a circle.

Clasping a hand to her injured arm, Lumiya was frozen, staring at the figure in the middle of the circle that stepped forwards towards her, stopping just a foot away. Fear gripping her heart, Lumiya waited for her death, for the end to arrive, and instead felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Come, join us," A deep voice sounded from underneath the hood. "We will help you."

Lumiya shuddered, looking at him, before whispering. "Who... Who are you?"

"I was once a Jedi, but now... I am so much more," The voice replied. "I am now the Fear of Jedi, the nightmares they have, and the part they diminish inside. I am a Sith... A Lord of the Sith, and this is my group, my people, around you."

"Can... Can you help me? Truly?"

"Yes, young one," A rasping female voice sounded, and another figure stepped forth; Lumiya could see the point of a beak under the hood. "We will. I am Vergere, and I promise we will protect you. Come, young one. Join us."

Lumiya saw the hand being extended towards her from the figure before her, and raised her head further to see his face.

He had sharp features, a scowl, and tattoos on his face, extending from the eyes and towards where his dark hair began, but aside from that was his eyes. They were very peculiar, mismatched.

She raised her hand, and took it, standing up and facing the Sith. "I am Lumiya."

The man smirked. "Yes, I know who you are, young one. We have been watching, and now, we will help you. Feanor!"

A figure stepped forwards, and Lumiya glanced at him, her eyes unable to see inside the hood to catch any recognisable features.

"Yes, my Lord?" A cold voice sounded from the depths.

"Take our guest to our ship, and tell our pilot to prepare the return to Korriban," The Leader ordered. "We must leave, before the Jedi arrive."

"Yes, my Lord," Came the reply, and the man stepped forwards, taking Lumiya's arm and gently guiding her away, the other robed figures following behind him. The person known as Vergere was at her side too, staring around for any sign of danger too, but Lumiya didn't care.

She was leaving this place, her past behind, and moving forwards onto a new future.


End file.
